LIFE 

IN  A  LARGE 

MANUFACTURING 

PLANT 

UK- 
CHARLES  M   R1FLEY 


GIFT 


LIFE 

IN  A   LARGE 
MANUFACTURING  PLANT 

By 
CHARLES  M.   RIPLEY 

Author  of 

"Romance  of  a  Great  Factory'' 


With  iiit?  odactiorf  b^  % 
E.  W.   RICE,  JR. 

President  of  General  Electric  Company 


GENERAL  ELECTRIC  COMPANY 

PUBLICATION   BUREAU 

SCHENECTADY,   N.    Y.,    1919 


& 


BUSINESS  IS  BUSINESS 

"Business  is  business"  but  men  are  men, 

Loving  and  working,  dreaming, 
Toiling  with  pencil  or  spade  or  pen, 

Roistering,  planning,  scheming. 

"Business  is  business"  but  he's  a  fool 
Whose  business  has  grown  to  smother 

His  faith  in  men  and  the  golden  rule, 
His  love  for  a  friend  and  brother. 

"Business  is  business,"  but  life  is  life; 

Though  we're  all  in  the  game  to  win  it, 
Let's  rest  sometime  from  the  heat  and  strife 

And  try  to  be  friends  for  a  minute. 

Let's  seek^  to  be  comrades  now  and  then, 

And  slip  from  our  golden  tether; 
"Business  is  business"  but  men  are  men, 

And  we're  all  good  pals  together! 

BERTON  BRALET. 
Through  Courtesy  of  George  H.  Doran  Co. 


421110 


CONTENTS 


Introduction. 
Chapter   I. 


Chapter  II. 


Chapter  III. 


Chapter  IV. 


Chapter  V. 


Chapter  VI. 


By  E.  W.  Rice,  Jr.,  President  of  General  Electric  Company 

Continuity  of  Service 
Remarkably  Long  Service   Record  of  a  Great  Proportion  of  Present 

Schenectady  Employees. 

Fifty-six  Per  Cent  of  Those  Employed  Five  Years  Ago  are  Still  on  the 
Payroll.  The  Supplementary  Compensation.  Vacations  with  Full 
Pay  for  Shop  Workers.  The  Pension  System. 

Clubs  and  Associations 

Men's  Social  Clubs. 
Women's  Social  Clubs. 
Vacation  Clubs  and  Camps. 
Athletic    Clubs.      Musical    Clubs. 
Garden  Clubs. 


Departmental    Associations.      War 


Mutual  Benefit  Association 

Health,  Life  and  Accident  Insurance  for  Nine  Cents  a  Week. 

Over  $4,000,000  of  Life  Insurance. 

How  the  Field  Day  and  Other  Entertainments  Lessen  the  Dues. 

Scheme  of  Operation. 

Membership  in  the  Different  Factories. 

Essential  Points  of  Organization. 

Safety  Work  or  The  Prevention  of  Accidents         ». 
The  Dangerous  Age. 
The  Safest  Age. 

The  Hour  and  Day  When  Most  Accidents  Occur. 
Eighty  Per  Cent  Due  to  Carelessness. 
Women  More  Careful  Than  Men. 
Educational  Campaign. 
Mechanical  and  Electrical  Safeguards. 
Manufacturing  Processes  Modified. 
Main  Causes  of  Accidents. 
Time  Lost — One-quarter  of  One  Per  Cent. 

Digest  of  Safety  Bulletins.     Classified  According  to  Accidents   Being 
Fought. 

Medical  Work  and  Hospitals 

All  Employees  Receive  Medical  Examinations. 

What  is  an  Accident? 

Thirty  Times  Safer  to  Work  in  the  General  Electric  Company  Than  to 

Fish  for  a  Living. 

Thirty-seven  Rest  Rooms  for  Girls. 
Nurses  and  Red  Cross  Classes. 

Fire  Protection 

Company  and  Employees  Both  Benefit  by  Good  Protection. 
Average  Money  Loss  Per  Fire  for  Last  Ten  Years  Only  #39. 
A  Quarter  of  a  Million  Automatic  Sprinklers  in  the  General  Electric 

Company. 

Equipment  in  Buildings. 
Handling  Inflammable  Material. 
Central  Fire  Station  Equipment  and  Water  System. 
The  Organization. 
Fire  Crew  for  Each  Building. 
Drill. 


Chapter  VI.        Fire  Protection      (Cont'd) 
Exit  Drill. 
Bulletins. 

Chapter  VII.       Restaurants 

Twenty-five  Cent  Midday  Meal  at  Schenectady. 
One  Restaurant  Sells  Over  a  Million  Meals  a  Year. 
Four  Conveyor  Belts  Speed  the  Serve-self  System. 
Regular  Meal  Served  in  Twelve  Seconds. 

Chapter  VIII.     The  Apprenticeship  Courses 

Boys  Out  of  Grammar  School  Become  Mechanics  in  Four  Years. 

Paid  from  $2100  to  #3200  While  Being  Taught. 

Encouragement  for  Boys  Who  Cannot  go  to  College. 

Number  of  Graduates  from  the  Different  Factories. 

Earnings  of  Graduates  from  the  Lynn  Factory. 

Positions  Held  by  Apprentice  Graduates  from  All  Factories. 

The  Necessity  for  Learning  a  Trade. 

Class  Room  Instruction. 

Home  Work. 

Mastering  Use  of  Tools  and  Machinery. 

Special  Courses. 

Present  Number  of  Apprentices. 

Environment. 

Chapter  IX.        General  Educational  Facilities 

Testing  Department  School. 

Switchboard  Department  School. 

Evening  Vocational  Schools. 

Municipal  Night  Schools. 

Union  College  Evening  Classes. 

Lectures. 

American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers. 

Publications. 

Libraries. 

Chapter  X.          The  Electrical  Testing  Course 

The  Pathway  Between  College  and  Business. 

The  Democracy  of  Overalls  and  a  Flannel  Shirt. 

Careers  of  ex-Test  Men. 

Electric  Railway  Officials  Formerly  General  Electric  Test  Men. 

High  Positions  Attained. 

Cosmopolitanism. 

Quarter  of  a  Million  Kv-a.  Used  in  Testing  Department. 

Wide  Variety  of  Work. 

Steam  Engineering. 

Government  Work. 

Government  Recognition. 

Class  Room  Instruction. 

Post-graduate  Course  at  Union  College. 

Transfers. 

Office  Training. 

Promotions. 

Positions  Now  Held  by  ex-Test  Men  as  Ascertained  from  National  Mem- 
bership List  of  A.  I.  E.  E. 

Percentage  of  Test  Men  in  the  Engineering  Department. 

Percentage  of  General  Electric  Officials,  Managers,  Specialists,  etc.,  Who 
Are  ex-Test  Men. 


INTRODUCTION 


By  E.  W.  RICE,  Jr. 

President  of  General  Electric  Company 


THE  series   of  articles  brought   together   in   this  book  were   first 
prepared  by  the  author  for  the  GENERAL  ELECTRIC  REVIEW  and 
appeared,  during  the  year  1917,  in  that  journal.     They  were  so 
full  of  matters  of  human  interest  that  they  were  widely  copied  by  maga- 
zines and  papers  throughout  this  country  and  in  many  foreign  lands. 
The  demand  for  copies  became  so  great  that  it  was  considered  desirable 
to  reprint  the  entire  series  in  the  more  compact  and  permanent  form  of 
this  modest  volume. 

The  title  of  the  book  is  most  expressive,  as  it  strikes  the  key-note 
of  the  author's  message.  The  fitness  of  the  word  "Life"  is  evident,  when 
one  realizes  that,  after  deducting  Sundays,  holidays  and  hours  spent  in 
sleep,  about  one  half  of  what  remains  for  those  engaged  in  industry  is 
spent  in  the  workshop.  As  labor  occupies  so  large  a  portion  of  the 
time,  happiness  and  success  are  largely  dependent  upon  their  work  and 
their  attitude  towards  it.  Health,  education,  and  mental  and  spiritual 
development  are  all  strongly  influenced,  for  good  or  ill,  by  our  environ- 
ment, and  conditions  which  make  for  moral,  physical  and  mental  better- 
ment are  bound  to  add  to  the  zest  of  our  interest  and  enjoyment  in  our 
work  and  in  our  play  alike. 

The  various  activities  described  in  this  book  have  not  sprung  into 
existence  at  one  time,  but  have  grown  in  a  natural  manner  to  meet  the 
conditions  of  a  changing  and  expanding  enterprise.  None  of  them  are 
perfect,  none  of  them  are  finished,  but  have  been  and  will  continue  to  be 
subject  to  growth,  change  and  adaptation,  with  changing  times  and 
circumstances. 

As  the  writer  of  this  introduction  has  been  associated  with  this 
enterprise  since  its  beginning,  and  has  seen  the  start  and  growth  of  all 
the  activities  described,  he  was  urged  to  say  something  about  them. 

We  always  like  to  know  the  reason  why  anything  is  done.  This 
question  is  often  asked  concerning  the  activities  described  in  this  book  : 
"What  is  the  motive;  what  was  the  spirit  which  actuated  the  manage- 
ment?" Whatever  it  was,  it  was  not  philanthrophy  or  paternalism! 

It  did  not  require  much  intelligence  to  realize  that  workers  in  in- 
dustry were  more  important  than  tools  or  buildings.  It  was  natural, 
therefore,  to  do  everything  possible  to  increase  their  value  by  improving 


conditions  of  life  during  working  hours.  It  would  be  useless  for  an 
industry  to  provide  fine  tools,  buildings  and  the  best  of  materials  unless 
it  could  attract  and  hold  workers  with  sound  bodies  and  intelligent  and 
educated  minds. 

Hospitals,  medical  service,  safety  devices,  sanitary  surroundings, 
rest  rooms  and  restaurants,  where  wholesome  food  at  reasonable  prices 
could  be  obtained,  all  obviously  justified  their  existence. 

As  the  electrical  business  was  highly  technical,  and  inventions  and 
discoveries  advanced  more  rapidly  than  general  educational  facilities 
of  the  country,  we  were  early  led  to  undertake  special  educational 
methods  of  our  own — such  as  the  "test  course,"  which  began  with  our 
beginning  in  1880,  and  has  been  continued  ever  since,  with  modifications 
adapted  to  changed  conditions  of  business  and  education.  Our  apprentice 
course  has  a  similar  origin  and  history. 

Many  of  the  activities  described  had  their  origin  with  the  manage- 
ment. Many,  however,  originated  among  the  workers,  and  where 
agreeable  to  them,  assistance  was  rendered  by  the  Company.  Many 
organizations  are  managed  and  operated  solely  by  the  employees — 
notable  instances  being  the  various  Mutual  Benefit  Associations,  the 
athletic,  social  and  musical  clubs  which  have  prospered  and  helped  to 
make  life  more  interesting  to  thousands  of  workers. 

Those  of  us  who  have  been  associated  together  with  the  Company 
for  many  years  feel  a  natural  pride  in  the  position  which  it  has  made  for 
itself  in  its  own  field,  in  this  country,  and  throughout  the  world.  We 
believe  that  we  have,  each  in  his  own  way,  contributed  something  to  its 
success,  and  we  are  conscious  that  the  achievements  of  the  organization 
have  been  brought  about  by  the  joint  effort  of  many  workers.  We  take 
great  satisfaction,  not  only  in  the  technical,  commercial  and  financial 
strength  of  our  Company,  but  even  greater  satisfaction  in  the  knowledge 
that  we  have,  to  a  considerable  degree,  made  possible,  by  our  joint 
efforts,  the  great  electrical  industry,  which  has  done  so  much  for  the 
benefit  of  the  world. 

Many  important  electrical  discoveries  or  inventions  have  had  their 
origin,  either  with  our  Company  or  with  its  predecessors — for  example, 
the  electric  light,  the  trolley  car,  transmission  of  power,  electric  welding, 
and  so  on.  We  may  all  join  in  the  satisfying  thought  that  the  world  has 
been  made  happier,  better  and  richer,  in  every  sense,  because  of  the 
"Life"  which  we  have  spent  in  our  great  electrical  workshop. 


Life  in  a  Large  Manufacturing  Plant 

CHAPTER  I 

CONTINUITY  OF  SERVICE 

In  his  "History  of  Civilization"  Buckle  points  out  that  the  peoples 
of  nations  situated  in  extremely  hot  and  in  extremely  cold  climates  are 
inferior  to  those  in  the  temperate  zone,  because  their  continuity  of 
employment  is  less.  In  hot  countries  steady  work  is  impossible  due  to 
the  extreme  heat  of  the  day,  and  in  extremely  cold  climates  steady  work 
is  impossible  due  both  to  the  severity  of  the  winter  and  to  the  diminished 
sunlight;  for  the  "lands  of  the  midnight  sun"  are,  in  winter,  the  lands 
of  the  noonday  shade.  Buckle  states  that  the  peoples  of  the  temperate 
zone  are  less  fickle,  more  energetic,  and  further  advanced  in  all  lines  of 
human  endeavor,  because  they  work  more  continuously;  i.e.,  with  less 
breaks  in  their  industry. 

A  business  organization  is  very  similar  to  a  nation  in  that  its  strength 
and  its  characteristics  are  but  the  summation  of  the  strength  and  char- 
acteristics of  the  individuals  composing  it. 

Since  steady  work  makes  a  nation  great  because  its  individuals 
become  competent  and  expert,  it  would  naturally  follow  that  an  industrial 
concern  whose  employees'  are  steady  workers,  would  be  a  stronger  and 
better  organization  than  if  its  personnel  were  largely  composed  of 
"floaters." 

Lack  of  steady  work  weakens  the  character  of  the  individual,  and 
individuals  of  weak  character  find  it  difficult  to  obtain  steady  work;  so 
it  is  apparent  that  there  exists  a  vicious  circle,  and  that  the  money 
losses  are  cumulative;  moreover  this  money  loss  is  mutual  with  employee 
and  employer,  inasmuch  as  both  suffer  through  lack  of  steady  productive 
work. 

LONG  SERVICE  RECORDS 

Let  us  visit  the  gatekeeper  at  the  main  entrance  of  the  Schenectady 
Works  of  the  General  Electric  Company  and  view  the  great  army  of 
industrial  workers  which  pours  out  here  at  the  end  of  the  day.  In  less 
than  three  quarters  of  an  hour  most  of  the  22,000  people  leave  the 
Works — in  round  numbers  an  average  of  500  per  minute.  How  many 
of  the  500  are  "old"  employees? 

250  are  "5-year  men,"  of  whom 

100  are  "lo-year  men,"  and 

15  are  "25-year  men" 

Think  what  this  means — four  long-service  men  pass  out  every  second, 
for  the  better  part  of  an  hour. 


REMARKABLE  SERVICE  RECORDS  AT  SCHENECTADY 
Fig.  i  shows  the  continuity  of  service  of  the  Schenectady  employees. 
Half  the  individuals  have  been  steadily  employed  five  years  or  longer. 
One  out  of  every  five  has  been  employed  ten  years  or  longer. 
One  out  of  every  34  has  been  steadily  employed  25  years  or  longer. 
The  details  of  these  service  records  are: 


No.  of  Employees 

Years  of  Service 

No.  of  Employees 

Years  of  Service 

I 

39 

26 

33  or  more 

3 

38  or  more 

3H 

29  or  more 

8 

37  or  more 

632 

26  or  more 

9 

36  or  more 

660 

25  or  more 

H 

35  or  more 

4>309 

10  or  more 

21 

34  or  more 

11,102 

5  or  more 

The  lower  end  of  this  curve,  covering  the  period  between  25  and  39 
years  of  continuous  service,  was  easily  obtained  from  the  records  of  the 


17000 


6      0 


JO     /Z    /4     /6    /8    20    2Z    24    ZG    28    30    3Z  34    36    38  40 
Years  Con£/ni/ot/s  Service 


Fig.  i.     SERVICE  RECORD,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

Quarter  Century  Club  in  Schenectady.  The  660  members  of  the  Schenec- 
tady Quarter  Century  Club  have  served  a  total  of  19,000  man-years; 
i.e.,  their  total  years  of  service  if  represented  by  the  life  of  one  man  would 
amount  to  19,000  years. 


10 


The  five-year  point  was  obtained  from  the  records  of  those  who 
receive  the  5  per  cent  supplementary  compensation,  described  later 
in  the  chapter.  The  ten-year  point  was  obtained  from  the  records  of  the 
factory  employees  on  the  wage  basis  who  receive  the  one  week's  vacation 
with  full  pay  after  ten  years  of  service,  supplemented  by  the  ten-year 
salaried  employees  in  the  General  Office  and  Works. 

The  upper  portion  of  this  curve,  showing  how  many  employees  have 
rendered  less  than  five  years  of  service  was  difficult  to  obtain,  for  it 
involved  the  inspection  of  20,000  records — one  for  each  employee. 

The  figures  from  pay  rolls  5,  10,  and  25  years  ago  show 
that  the  number  of  five-year  men  now  on  the  pay  roll  is  56^  per  cent 
of  the  total  pay  roll  five  years  ago.  Similarly,  neglecting  transfer  to  and 
from  Schenectady,  39  per  cent  of  those  employed  ten  years  ago  remained 
on  the  pay  roll  July  i,  1918;  and  of  the  total  of  approximately  2600 
employees  at  Schenectady  25  years  ago,  660  or  25  per  cent  are  still 
working  in  the  Schenectady  Works. 

The  General  Electric  Company  recognizes  that  steady  work  is  of 
value  to  all  concerned,  and  has  instituted  the  following  measures  to 
promote  it  and  to  reward  those  employees  who  have  long  records  of 
continuous  service: 

FIVE  PER  CENT  SUPPLEMENTARY  COMPENSATION 
In  addition  to  the  10  per  cent  bonus  of  over  $5,000,000,"! 
paid  to  their  employees  in  1917,  the  General  Electric  Company  dis- 
tributed supplementary  compensation  in  the  year  1917  amounting  to 
over  $1,330,000  to  employees  who  had  rendered  five  years  or  more  of 
continuous  service  up  to  that  time.  This  supplementary  compensation 
will  continue  to  be  paid  until  further  notice  to  all  employees  who  have 
rendered  five  years  or  more  of  continuous  service.  In  1917  this  figure 
for  the  entire  organization  reached  nearly  22,000  employees,  including 
shop  workers,  clerks,  engineers,  commercial  men,  and  office  boys.  This 
supplementary  compensation  is  paid  semi-annually  and  is  equivalent  to 
5  per  cent  of  the  wage  or  salary  during  the  preceding  term. 

The  distribution  of  this  supplementary  compensation  is  shown  in 
the  following  table  which  lists  the  different  factories,  and  the  number 
of  employees  in  each  who  received  this  bonus: 

Schenectady  Works 11,102 

Lynn  Works 4,364 

Pittsfield  Works 1,938 

Erie  Works 311 

Fort  Wayne  Works . 734 

Edison  Lamp  Division 982 

National  Lamp  Division 1,266 

At  the  present  writing  the  number  of  employees  who  are  eligible  to 
participate  is  increasing  at  every  six-month  period. 


ii 


VACATIONS  WITH  FULL  PAY 

No  radical  departures  have  been  made  in  regard  to  the  vacation 
granted  salaried  employees;  but  in  the  field  of  shop  labor,  a  decidedly 
novel  move  has  been  inaugurated  which  has  most  interesting  develop- 
ments as  possible  or  even  probable  in  the  future.  Already  the  wage 
earners,  or  those  on  the  daily  or  hourly  basis  in  the  shops,  receive  one 
week's  vacation  with  pay  after  they  have  rendered  ten  years  of  con- 
tinuous service.  The  following  table  will  be  of  interest  as  it  shows  how 
many  ten-year  men  are  now  employed  in  the  shops  on  the  wage  basis: 


Schenectady . 

Lynn 

Pittsfield 
Fort  Wayne 


3300 

1482 

250 

192 


THE  PENSION  SYSTEM 

The  pension  system  provides  for  retirement  upon  a  pension  at  the 
age  of  £p,  of  all  employees  who  have  rendered  20  or  more  years  of  con- 
tinuous service.  Employees  who  have  been  continuously  in  the  service 
for  20  or  more  years  and  who  become  incapacitated  may  be  retired  upon 


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Fig.  2.     PENSION  RATE  PER  $1000  AVERAGE  WAGES  FOR  VARIOUS  PERIODS  OF  SERVICE 


14    16    16    2O  2Z    24   Z6  ZQ  30  3Z  34  36  38  4O 
En-jp/oyee'<s  Yeans  of  Service; 


a  pension  with  the  approval  of  the  pension  board.  Men  must  be  retired 
at  the  age  of  70,  and  women  at  the  age  of  60,  unless  special  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  with  the  pension  board. 

This  pension  is  based  upon  the  average  annual  wages  for  ten 
years  prior  to  retirement,  and  the  total  number  of  years  of  continu- 
ous service. 


12 


HOW  THE  PENSION  IS  FIGURED 

/       After  33  years  of  continuous  service,  an  employee's  pension  equals 
49J/2  per  cent  of  his  annual  earnings. 

The  exact  formula  for  computing  the  pension  is  as  follows: 
The  average  annual  wages  for  ten  years  prior  to  retirement,  multi- 
plied by  the  number  of  years  in  service,  multiplied  by  ij^  per  cent. 
For  example,  for  one  whose  service  has  been  continuous  for  30  years 
and  whose  average  earnings  for  the  last  ten  years  have  been  $2500  per 
annum,  the  annual  pension  upon  retirement  would  be  $1125;  or  figured 
per  day,  it  would  be  $3.08  per  day  including  Sundays  and  holidays. 
Such  an  employee,  retiring  at  the  age  of  70  and  living  to  the  age  of  80, 
would  receive  a  total  sum  in  pensions  of  $11,250  according  to  the  schedule 
in  force  at  the  present  time.  The  pensions  are  paid  monthly  by  check. 

COMPARISON  OF  PENSIONS  WITH  LIBERTY  BOND  INCOME 
The  table  is  prepared  to  show  not  only  the  annual  pension  received 
by  employees  who  have  rendered  between  20  and  40  years  of  continuous 
service,  but  the  last  column  shows  also  the  capitalization  of  this  pension. 
For  instance,  a  man  who  draws  a  pension  of  $300  per  year  until  death, 
receives  an  income  which  is  equivalent  to  that  from  $7500  in  Liberty 
Bonds  bearing  4  per  cent  interest;  that  is,  his  pension  would  be  equal  to 
his  income  if  he  owned  $7500  of  the  4  per  cent  Liberty  Bonds.  An 
employee  rendering  40  years  of  service  would  for  each  $1000  of  annual 
earnings,  receive  $600  annually,  or  the  equivalent  of  the  income  on 
$15,000  of  4  per  cent  Liberty  Bonds.  Obviously,  if  his  earnings  averaged 
$2000  for  the  last  ten  years,  he  would  receive  twice  that  much,  or  $1200 
per  annum — the  equivalent  of  the  entire  income  of  $30,000  worth  of 
Liberty  Bonds  at  4  per  cent  interest.  For  the  purpose  of  permitting 
rapid  calculations,  the  following  table  and  discussion  are  based  on 
average  annual  earnings  of  $1000  per  year. 

The  curve,  Fig.  2,  shows  graphically  the  pension  received  by  retired 
employees  according  to  different  periods  of  continuous  service  between 
20  and  40  years.  The  figures  under  the  curves  show  the  amount  in 
Liberty  Bonds  which  a  man  would  have  to  possess  in  order  that  the 
income  from  them  would  equal  his  pension. 


No.  of 
Years 

Annual 
Pension 
Until  Death 

Capitalization 
in  4  Per  Cent 
Liberty  Bonds 

No.  of 
Years 

Annual 
Pension 
Until  Death 

Capitalization 
in  4  Per  Cent 
Liberty  Bonds 

20 

$300 

#7,500 

32 

£480 

^12,000 

22 

330 

8,250 

34 

510 

12,750 

24 

360 

9,000 

36 

540 

I3oOO 

26 

390 

9r75o 

38 

570 

14,250 

28 

420 

10,500 

40 

600 

15,000 

30 

450 

11,250 

NOTE. — For  retired  employees  whose  earnings  were  more  than  £1000  per  year  the  pension 
and  the  capitalization  are  each  increased  proportionately. 

13 


An  interesting  and  instructive  feature  of  this  diagram  is  the  dotted 
section  of  the  curve.  It  may  be  commented  upon  as  follows: 

An  employee  who  has  worked  less  than  20  years  should  appreciate 
that  already  a  considerable  sum  of  money  has  been  set  aside  to 
provide  for  his  pension,  but  that  by  resigning  his  position  before  the 
end  of  20  years'  service,  he  is  forfeiting  this  asset  which  he  has 
created  by  his  continuous  service.  This  asset  for  the  $1000  per  year 
man  with  only  a  ten-year  service,  already  amounts  to  the  income  from 
$3750  Liberty  Bonds  for  the  rest  of  his  life;  and  for  the  $2000  per  year 
man  amounts  to  $7500  in  Liberty  Bonds;  and  both  of  these  will  be 
doubled  when  the  full  2O-year  record  is  complete.  In  other  words, 
by  continuing  in  his  present  position  for  ten  years  more  he  will  be  able  to 
make  secure  this  doubled  asset;  whereas  by  resigning  from  his  position 
he  throws  away  this  much  capital,  the  income  from  which  he  would 
begin  to  receive  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  and  which  he  would  continue 
to  receive  until  his  death.  Similarly  those  who  have  served  a  greater  or 
lesser  period  can  consult  this  curve  to  ascertain  what  has  been  set  aside 
for  them;  but  all  should  bear  in  mind  that  the  figures  are  based  on  annual 
earnings  of  only  $1000  per  year  and  should  be  increased  proportionately 
for  higher  earnings. 

Note. — Following  extracts  from  Pension  ruling  may  be  of  interest: 

Any  male  employee  who  has  reached  the  age  of  seventy  years  and  who  has  been 
twenty  or  more  years  in  the  service  shall  be  retired  and  shall  receive  a  pension,  unless  at 
the  request  of  the  employee  and  with  the  approval  of  the  Pension  Board  some  later  date 
be  fixed  for  such  retirement. 

Any  female  employee  who  has  reached  the  age  of-  sixty  years  and  who  has  been 
twenty  or  more  years  in  the  service  shall  be  retired  and  shall  receive  a  pension  unless  at 
the  request  of  the  employee  and  with  the  apprpval  of  the  Pension  Board  some  later  date 
be  fixed  for  such  retirement. 

Any  employee  who  has  been  twenty  or  more  years  in  the  service  and  who  becomes 
permanently  incapacitated  for  further  work  may  at  the  discretion  of  the  Pension  Board  be 
retired  from  active  service  and  receive  a  pension. 

WHAT  IS  "CONTINUOUS  SERVICE?" 

In  connection  with  the  pension  system,  the  supplementary  compen- 
sation plan,  and  the  ten-year  factory  service  vacation,  the  expression 
"continuous  service"  is  used.  The  rules  governing  the  determination 
of  each  employee's  service  record  are: 

(1)  Temporary  absence  and  temporary  layoff  on  account  of  illness 
or  because  of  reduction  in  force  will  not  be  considered  as  a  break  in  the 
continuity  of  service,   but  when  such   absence  exceeds  six  consecutive 
months  it  will  be  deducted  in  computing  length  of  active  service. 

(2)  If  any  employee,  after  leaving  the  service  of  the  Company, 
shall  be  re-employed,  he  shall  be  considered  as  a  new  employee. 

14 


(3)  Leaving  the  service,  as  referred  to  in  rule  2,  is  defined  as  follows: 

(a)  When  an  employee  leaves  voluntarily  or  is  definitely  discharged. 

(b)  When  an  employee  absents  himself  from  duty  for  two  consecu- 

tive weeks  or  longer,  without  satisfactory  explanation. 

(c)  When  an  employee,  originally  laid  offbecause  of  reduction  in  force, 

fails  to  apply  for  re-employment  within  six  months,  or,  being 
notified  that  he  may  return,  fails  to  do  so  within  two  weeks 
of  the  date  of  such  notice  without  satisfactory  explanation. 

(d)  When  an  employee  originally  laid  off  because  of  illness  fails  to 

keep  his  department  head  informed  monthly,  or  otherwise 
obtain  approval  of  his  absence. 

(4)  Leave   of  absence   without   pay   may   be   granted    individual 
employees,  at  the  discretion  of  managers,  but  in  every  case  it  must  be 
arranged  in  advance.    If  such  absence  exceeds  three  months  it  must  be 
approved  by  the  Supplementary  Compensation  Committee  in  advance, 
and  the  time,  if  it  exceeds  six  months,  shall  be  deducted  in  computing 
the  net  term  of  service. 

(5)  Leave  of  absence,  without  pay,  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a 
higher  education  and  subsequently  returning  to  active  service  in  this 
Company,  shall  not  be  considered  as  a  break  in  service  provided  arrange- 
ments are  made  in  advance.    If  such  absence  is  to  exceed  three  months, 
it  must  be  approved  by  the  Supplementary  Compensation  Committee, 
and  the  time,  if  it  exceeds  six  months,  shall  be  deducted  in  computing 
the  net  term  of  service. 

(6)  Military  service,  both  State  and  National,  is  not  necessarily 
a  break  in  the  continuity  of  service.    If  an  employee  enters  any  branch 
of  military  service,  either  as  the  result  of  draft  or  voluntarily  with  the 
consent  of  the  Company,  and  at  the  date  of  enlistment  he  shall  have 
been  in  the  service  of  the  Company  six  months  or  longer,  the  Company 
will,  after  his  honorable  discharge  from  the  service  in  the  Army  or  Navy, 
and  if  he  applies  for  employment,  endeavor  to  re-employ  him  whenever 
possible,  either  in  his  original  position  or  in  such  other  capacity  as  may 
be  found  practicable.     When  again  so  employed,  after  military  service, 
the  employee's  service  with  the  Company  for  the  purpose  of  computing 
pensions  and  other  benefits  will  be  held  to  have  been  continuous;   i.e., 
his  term  of  service  with  the  Company  will  be  inclusive  of  the  time  spent 
in  military  service. 

(7)  Supplementary   compensation    for   five-year   service    shall    be 
calculated  only  on  the  regular  and  overtime  pay  roll  earnings  for  service 
actually  performed,  as  will  also  the  10  per  cent  or  any  other  bonus  paid 
coincidently  with  regular  wage  or  salary  payments. 


CHAPTER  II 
CLUBS  AND  ASSOCIATIONS 

Though  much  has  been  written  about  the  electrical  industry 
comparatively  little  is  generally  known  about  the  electrical  fraternity. 
'One  of  the  factors  which  has  contributed  largely  to  the  rapid  develop- 
ment of  the  electrical  industry  has  been  the  spirit  of  comradeship  which 
animates  and  inspires  the  workers.  This  fraternal  spirit  manifests  itself 
in  the  voluntary  formation  of  clubs  and  associations  all  over  the  country. 
This  chapter  will  briefly  describe  some  of  the  more  important  clubs 
and  associations  at  12  different  locations,  having  a  total  of  over  33,000 
members.  The  membership  or  ownership  of  these  clubs  is  exclusively 
among  the  men  and  women  of  the  General  Electric  Company. 

MEN'S  SOCIAL  CLUBS  AND  ASSOCIATIONS 

Members 

Quarter  Century  Club 1 198 

Edison  Club  at  Schenectady 600 

General  Electric  Club  of  New  York 170 

General  Electric  Club  of  Boston 130 

Firemen's  Association  at  Schenectady 130 

Firemen's  Association  at  Lynn 108 

Thomson  Club  at  Lynn 100 

Mazda  Club  at  Harrison 175 

Coin  and  Stamp  Club  at  Lynn 47 

Volunteer  Firemen's  Association  at  Fort  Wayne 36 

THE  EDISON  CLUB 

The  Edison  Club  was  formed  in  1904  as  a  result  of  a  petition  which 
was  signed  by  183  college  graduates  who  were  taking  the  test  course  at 
the  Schenectady  Works.  Today  there  are  over  600  members,  mostly 
graduates  from  American  and  foreign  colleges.  These  young  men 
have  all  pursued  the  same  studies,  have  undergone  the  same  training 
in  the  test  course,  and  have  lived  the  same  life  while  being  initiated  into 
the  electrical  industry.  The  "camaraderie"  exists  not  only  between 
the  younger  members,  but  the  various  social  and  athletic  activities  offer 
opportunities  for  the  student  engineers  to  be  brought  in  contact  with 
many  of  the  officials  and  engineers  of  the  Company.  The  Club  has  a  real 
"University  Spirit"  and  contributes  largely  toward  making  the  life  of 
the  test  man  in  Schenectady  not  only  wholesome  but  happy.  The  six 
photographs  illustrate  the  three  club  buildings  on  a  plot  90  ft.  by  369  ft., 
and  suggest  good  times  of  various  kinds. 

16 


Among  the  aquatic  sports  canoe  racing  leads,  and  the  club  is  affiliated 
with  the  American  Canoe  Association  and  participates  in  the  races  of 
the  "Big  League"  in  Schenectady  and  other  neighboring  cities.  A  score 


Fig.  3.     THE  EDISON  CLUB  AT  SCHENECTADY  IS  THE  RENDEZVOUS  FOR  THE  TEST    MEN 
FROM  TECHNICAL  COLLEGES  AND  UNIVERSITIES  FROM  ALL  OVER  THE  WORLD. 
IT  MIGHT  WELL  BE  CALLED  THE  "COSMOPOLITAN  UNIVERSITY  CLUB" 


Fig.  4.     EDISON    HALL  CONTAINS  AN  ASSEMBLY  HALL,  SEATING  400  PEOPLE;   FOUR    BOWL- 
ING ALLEYS,  SHOWER  BATHS,  MOTION-PICTURE  MACHINE,  AND  KITCHENETTE. 
THE  MEETINGS  OF  THE  A.I.E.E.  AND  OTHER  ENGINEERING  SOCIETIES 
ARE  HELD  HERE  AND  BY  REMOVING  THE  PORTABLE 
CHAIRS  A  BEAUTIFUL  BALLROOM  FLOOR  IS 
AVAILABLE  FOR  DANCING 


or  more  of  silver  cups  and  other  trophies  have  been  won,  and  the  Edison 
Club  boys  stand  for  all  that  is  good,  clean,  fair,  and  manly  in  the  realm 
of  aquatic  sports. 


One  hundred  and  twenty-five  members  of  the  Club,  ranging  from 
the  newest  test  man  to  the  heads  of  departments  in  the  general  offices, 
have  formed  the  highly  successful  Intercollegiate  Bowling  League  which 
meets  regularly  throughout  the  year. 


Fig.  5.     READING  ROOM  OF  EDISON  CLUB  AT  SCHENECTADY.    THE  CLUB  IS  USED 
NIGHT  AND  DAY  BY  THE  TEST  MEN.     POOL  AND  BILLIARD  TABLES, 
CARD  ROOM,   AND  LIBRARY  ARE  IN  GREAT  DEMAND 


Fig.  6.     BOWLING  ALLEYS  OF  THE  EDISON  CLUB  WITH  THEIR  AUTOMATIC  PIN-SETTING 

EQUIPMENT.     INTERCOLLEGIATE  BOWLING  TEAMS  HAVE 

ROUSING  TIMES  IN  THEIR  MATCHES 

Fencing,  boxing,  bag  punching,  hand  and  medicine  ball,  basketball, 
and  tennis  are  among  the  other  sports. 

Members  who  are  musically  inclined  have  formed  an  orchestra, 
mandolin  club,  minstrels,  and  brass  band. 

18 


Each  year  the  members  of  the  Club  who  are  far  away  from  home 
gather    together   for  a   Christmas  dinner    at    the   Mohawk   Golf  Club. 


Fig.  7.    THE  CONCRETE  BOATHOUSE  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  MOHAWK  RIVER 

IN  THE  REAR  OF  EDISON  CLUB  AND  HALL.    A   DOUBLE  TRACK  IS 

PROVIDED  FOR  RUNNING  THE  200  CANOES  IN  AND  OUT 

OF  THE  FIREPROOF  BOATHOUSE 


Fig.  8.     ONE  OF  THE  REGATTAS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  CANOE  ASSOCIATION. 
EDISON  CLUB  TEAM  HAS  WON  MANY  TROPHIES  IN  MEETS  ON 
THE  MOHAWK  RIVER  AND  ELSEWHERE 


THE 


Addresses  are  given  by  Mr.  E.  W.  Rice,  Jr.,  Dr.  Charles  P.  Steinmetz, 
and  other  officials  of  the  Company. 

A  salaried  superintendent  is  in  charge  of  the  Edison  Club. 


7^  f  • 


w   * 

W 

Ctf 


O  Q 

§5 

>.  wf 


I! 


20 


THE  THOMSON  CLUB  AT  LYNN 

The  Thomson  Club  was  organized  largely  for  the  benefit  of  the 
college  men  who  entered  into  the  organization,  and  has  a  normal  member- 
ship of  100. 


Fig.  9.    THE  THOMSON  CLUB  IN  LYNN  FILLS  THE  SAME  NEEDS  AS  THE  EDISON  CLUB 

IN  SCHENECTADY.     THERE  IS  A  MEETING  ROOM,  DINING  ROOM,  LIBRARY, 

ETC.,    DOWNSTAIRS.      IT    IS   AN    EASY   WALK    FROM    THE 

FACTORY    TO    THE    CLUB    HOUSE 


Fig.  10.     MEETING    ROOM    OF    THE    RIFLE    AND    REVOLVER    CLUB.    THIS,  TOGETHER 

WITH  THE  GIRLS'  GYMNASIUM,  THE  BOWLING  CLUB,  THE  APPRENTICE  ALUMNI 

CLUB,  AND  THE  FOREMEN'S  ASSOCIATION,  ARE  ALL  LOCATED  IN  THE 

RECREATION    BUILDING    WHICH    IS    ALSO    HEADQUARTERS 

FOR  THE  ATHLETIC  ASSOCIATION 


The  photographs  show  interior  and  exterior  views  of  the  club  house, 
including  one  of  the  many  sleeping  rooms  which  accommodate  25  of  the 
members. 


21 


Fig.  ii.    SLEEPING  ROOMS  ARE  PROVIDED  AT  THE  THOMSON  CLUB  FOR  THE  ACCOM- 

MODATION  OF  25  MEMBERS.     MOST  OF  THESE  YOUNG  MEN  ARE  COLLEGE 

GRADUATES  WHO  ARE  GETTING  THEIR  PRACTICAL  TRAINING 

IN  THE  SHOPS  OF  THE  COMPANY 


Fig.  12.    GIRLS'  GYMNASIUM  AT  LYNN,  ATTENDED  REGULARLY  BY  40  GIRLS. 
EQUIPMENT  AND  INSTRUCTOR  ARE  PROVIDED  BY  THE  COMPANY 
AND  THERE  IS  A  REST  AND  LUNCH  ROOM  NEAR  BY 


THE 


22 


MAZDA  CLUB  AT  HARRISON 

With  sleeping  accommodations  for  20  members,  this  club  includes 
in  its    membership  superintendents  and  department    heads  as  well  as 


Fig.  13.     RIFLE  RANGE  EQUIPPED  WITH  ELECTRICALLY  DRIVEN  TARGETS  WHICH 

PERMIT  CONTESTANTS  TO  CHANGE  TARGETS  RAPIDLY  WITHOUT 

ANYONE    SERVING   IN    PITS.     ELECTRIC   MOTORS   WHISK 

THE  TARGETS  BACK  AND  FORTH      LYNN  WORKS 


Fig.  14.    ALLEYS  OF  THE  BOWLING  CLUB  AT  LYNN.     LOCAL  CHAMPIONSHIP  GAMES 

ARE  HELD  HERE  AND  THE  CLUB  OWNS  MANY  TROPHIES  WON 

IN  COMPETITION  WITH  OTHER  LOCAL  TEAMS 


engineers.  About  35  members  take  their  meals  here.  The  equip- 
ment includes  three  billiard  tables,  bowling  alleys,  and  two  sets  of 
tennis  courts  on  the  property.  The  members  have  also  formed  a  club 
orchestra. 

23 


THE  QUARTER  CENTURY  CLUB 

The  General  Electric  Quarter  Century  Club  was  organized  in  1914 
and  its  membership  is  limited  to  those  who  have  spent  a  quarter  century 
or  more  in  the  employ  of  the  Company.  The  membership  is  divided 
as  follows: 

Schenectady 653 

Lynn 318 

District  Offices 114 

Fort  Wayne 52 

Harrison 27 

Pittsfield 17 

Sprague 12 

Erie 5 

Total 1 198 

The  total  years  of  service  rendered  by  the  1198  members  reaches 
the  staggering  figure  of  considerably  over  33,000  years;  and  if  expressed 
in  the  terms  of  one  man's  life,  would  extend  from  11,000  B.C.  to  22,000 
A.D. 

The  Club  has  annual  outings,  banquets,  and  athletic  events.  The 
button  worn  by  the  members  is  attractive  and  is  no  doubt  familiar  to 
tens  of  thousands  of  workers  in  the  electrical  industry. 


WOMEN'S  SOCIAL  CLUBS  AND  ASSOCIATIONS 

Members 

Woman's  Club  at  Schenectady 250 

Girls'  Gymnasium  at  Lynn 40 

Women's  Club  of  New  York 90 

Girls'  Minstrel  Club  at  Pittsfield 100 

Elex  Club  at  Fort  Wayne 100 

GENERAL  ELECTRIC  WOMAN'S  CLUB 

The  General  Electric  Woman's  Club  at  Schenectady  has  a  beautiful 
clubhouse,  of  which  some  pictures  are  shown.  The  cultural  studies,  the 
social  events,  and  wartime  activities  of  this  Club  are  the  admiration  of 
all  women  and  men  who  have  had  the  opportunity  of  being  brought  in 
contact  with  them. 

The  equipment  includes  dining  room  for  daily  luncheon  and  dinner, 
sleeping  rooms,  library,  piano,  victrola,  etc.  Tennis,  canoeing,  picnics, 
and  corn  roasts  are  popular  in  the  summer,  and  the  glee  club,  dancing 
classes,  parties,  recitals,  and  lectures  are  chief  among  the  winter  enter- 
tainments. Wednesday  and  Sunday  the  members  may  invite  their  men 
friends.  A  competent  steward  and  stewardess  are  in  charge  of  the 
clubhouse. 

24 


OTHER  WOMEN'S  CLUBS 

The  Gamma  Epsilon  Society  at  Harrison,  the  Elex  Club  at  Fort 
Wayne,  the  General  Electric  Women's  Club  at  New  York,  and  the  yearly 
get-together  of  the  girls  in  the  San  Francisco  office  are  typical  of  the 
club  spirit  which  exists  among  the  girl  workers. 


Fig.  15.     THE  WOMAN'S  CLUB  NESTLES  AMID  A  WEALTH  OF  FOLIAGE  AND  SHRUBBERY. 
THE  YOUNG  BUSINESS  WOMEN  FIND  REST  AFTER  THE  BUSY  DAY 
IN  THIS  OASIS  OF  INDUSTRIOUS  SCHENECTADY 


Fig.  1 6.     IT  IS  A  HANDSOME  BUILDING,  FORMERLY  THE  RESIDENCE  OF  ONE  OF  THE 
OFFICIALS  OF  THE  COMPANY.     THE  PROPERTY  EXTENDS 
DOWN  TO  THE  MOHAWK  RIVER 

The  Girl  Minstrels  at  Pittsfield,  with  a  chorus  of  28,  have 
attracted  considerable  attention  at  their  two  public  performances. 
Songs,  dances,  jokes,  tableaux,  and  male  impersonations  were  inter- 
mingled on  these  occasions. 


VACATION  CLUBS 

Members 

Girls'  Vacation  Camp  at  French  Point,  Lake  George 500 

Camp  Claverack  at  Association  Island,  Lake  Ontario 1000 

Camp  Nela,  Cleveland 270 

Camp  Edison 115 

Camp  National 1 10 

Marshall  Outing  Club  at  Harrison 61 


Fig.  17.    LIBRARY  AT  THE  WOMAN'S  CLUB  WITH  CORNER  OF  DINING  ROOM  IN 
BACKGROUND.     LUNCHEON  AND  DINNER  ARE  SERVED  DAILY 


Fig.  1 8.    THE  GIRLS  AT  FRENCH  POINT  CAMP  SLEEP  IN  25  RAINPROOF  TENTS 

WITH  WOODEN  FLOORS  AND  TWO  COTS  EACH.     EACH  TENT 

COMMANDS  A  VIEW  ACROSS  LAKE  GEORGE 

GIRLS'  VACATION  CAMP 

The  fascinating  kodak  views  of  the  General  Electric  outdoor 
girls  are  sufficient  to  suggest  the  good  times  which  approximately  500 
girls  enjoy  annually  at  Lake  George.  French  Point  Camp  comprises 

26 


42  acres,  and  is  equipped  with  private  dock,  boathouse,  icehouse, 
running  water,  rainproof  tents,  unsinkable  row  boats,  motor  boats, 
piano,  victrola,  rustic  smokehouse,  Dutch  ovens,  rustic  seats,  basketball 
and  volleyball  courts,  hammocks  and  swings,  games,  and  books.  On 
rainy  days  the  girls  gather  around  the  cobblestone  fireplace  of  the 
"rendezvous"  and  in  the  evening  dance  on  the  piazza. 

Delightful  trails  lead  up  into  the  mountain  nearly  2000  feet  above 
sea  level.  A  swimming  instructor  and  physical  director  look  out  for 
the  girls'  health.  Any  girl  employed  by  the  Company  in  the  factories 
in  nine  cities  or  in  any  of  the  district  offices  may  spend  her  vacation  on 
this  beautiful  lake  at  a  cost  of  less  than  $i  a  day. 

CAMP  CLAVERACK 

Camp  Claverack  covering  65  acres  is  located  on  Association  Island, 
Lake  Ontario.  It  is  owned  by  the  "Association  Island  Corporation" 
composed  of  men  prominent  in  the  electrical  industry — nearly  all  of 
whom  are  employed  by  the  General  Electric  Company.  The  open-air  life 
is  available  not  only  to  the  men  of  the  Company,  but  also  to  their 
families  and  friends.  Camp  Edison  and  Camp  National  are  also  located 
on  Association  Island. 

CAMP  NELA 

Camp  Nela  at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  is  an  electrical  community  for 
summer  vacations  and  week-end  trips.  The  camp  contains  swimming 
pool,  ten  tennis  courts,  two  clubhouses,  four  bowling  alleys,  football 
field,  grandstand,  basketball  court,  gymnasium,  library,  auditorium, 
kitchen,  two  pianos,  three  victrolas,  rifle  and  revolver  range,  lockers 
and  shower  baths.  The  architectural  features  of  the  camp  suggest  the 
Roycrofters'  art,  especially  the  two  outdoor  rustic  amphitheaters. 

ATHLETIC  CLUBS  AND  ASSOCIATIONS 

Members 

Athletic  Association  at  Schenectady 300 

Nela  Athletic  Association  at  Cleveland 400 

Athletic  Association  at  Erie 125 

Rifle  Club  at  Lynn 125 

G-E  Rifle  Club  at  Fort  Wayne 85 

Rifle  Club  at  Erie 10 

Bowling  Club  at  Schenectady  (Shop  League) 200 

Bowling  League  (Edison  Club) 125 

Bowling  Club  at  Lynn 200 

Bowling  Club  at  Erie 20 

Football  Club  at  Lynn 50 

THE  GENERAL  ELECTRIC  ATHLETIC  ASSOCIATION 

To  attend  an  Athletic  Association  field  day  is  to  witness  an  afternoon 
of  sport  which  will  compare  favorably  with  many  inter-collegiate  events. 

27 


The  equipment  of  these  athletic  associations  in  general  include  a  club- 
house with  lunch  room,  bowling  alleys,  training  quarters,  lockers  and 
shower  baths,  pool  and  billiard  tables,  basketball  court,  gymnasium, 
library,  auditorium,  meeting  rooms,  with  piano  and  victrola,  and  also 


Fig.  19.    THE  GIRLS'  CAMP  LIES  AT  THE  VERY  FOOT  OF  TONGUE  MOUNTAIN  WHICH 
RISES  ABOUT  1800  FEET  ABOVE  SEA  LEVEL.     A  HIKE  UP  THE  MOUNTAIN, 
WITH  A  PICNIC  LUNCH  ON  THE  TOP.  MAKES  A  GOOD  DAY'S  SPORT 


Fig.  20.    MEETING  THE  BOAT  AT  THE  PRIVATE  DOCK  OF  THE  GIRLS'  CAMP.     SINCE 

THE  BOATS  STOP  AT  THE  DOCK  THE  GIRLS  ARE  LANDED  RIGHT 

IN  THE   CAMP,  THUS  MAKING  THE  JOURNEY 

PLEASANT  AND  INEXPENSIVE 

a  rifle  and  revolver  range,  baseball  diamond,  racing  track,  athletic 
field,  football  field,  cricket  field,  tennis  courts,  and  grandstand.  Many 
members  of  the  athletic  teams  are  college  men,  and  it  has  been  found 
that  the  college  man  is  pretty  evenly  matched  against  the  shop  worker  in 
running,  jumping,  and  other  track  and  field  events. 


The  bowling,  baseball,  and  football  teams  and  rowing  crews  in 
some  of  the  cities  are  local  champions,  and  they  are  the  proud  possessors 
of  many  trophies. 


Fig.  21.    THE    PITTSFIELD    BAND    IN   THEIR    SMART   UNIFORMS   NOT  ONLY   GIVE 

OUTDOOR  CONCERTS  IN  THE  WARM  WEATHER  BUT  ARE  ENGAGED  TO 

LEAD  AND  PARTICIPATE  IN  ALL  BIG  PARADES  AND 

SIMILAR  TO  MUNICIPAL  CELEBRATIONS 


Fig.  22.     BASEBALL  DIAMOND,  TRACK,  FIELD,  AND  GRANDSTAND  OF  THE  ATHLETIC 

ASSOCIATION  AT  SCHENECTADY.     BASEBALL,  FOOTBALL  AND  OTHER 

CONTESTS  ARE  HELD  AT  FREQUENT  INTERVALS  DURING 

THE  SPRING  AND  SUMMER 


These  associations  are  practically  self-sustaining  with  small  annual 
dues. 

At  the  Lynn  Works  an  entire  building  is  appropriated  for  athletic 
and  social  activities.  It  is  known  as  the  "Recreation  Building"  and  is 
available  to  any  club  or  society  that  may  apply  for  quarters  in  it. 

29 


MUSICAL  CLUBS 

Members 

Schenectady  Band 50 

G-E  Chorus  at  Fort  Wayne 55 

Fort  Wayne  Band 35 

Pittsfield  Band 28 

Erie  Band 18 

Coupler  Glee  Club  at  Erie 128 

Chorus  Club  at  Erie 40 

Glee  Club  at  Lynn 32 


THE  BANDS 

It  is  a  familiar,  but  none  the  less  inspiring,  event  when  the  stirring 
airs  of  martial  music  reverberate  between  the  great  buildings  of  the 
General  Electric  factories.  The  brass  band  welcomed  Secretary  Daniels 
and  Governor  Whitman  at  the  Schenectady  Works  during  the  present 


Fig.  23.    TENNIS  IS  A  POPULAR  GAME   AMONG  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE  SCHENECTADY 

ATHLETIC  ASSOCIATION.    THE  COURTS  ARE  LESS  THAN  TEN  MINUTES' 

WALK  FROM  THE  GENERAL  ELECTRIC  WORKS 


year;  the  Liberty  Loan  parades  are  always  headed  by  the  General 
Electric  Band;  the  summer  concerts  are  regular  events  in  many  of  the 
factories;  and  many  city  parades  and  meetings  engage  these  bands  for 
special  occasions.  . 

The  Erie  Chorus  and  Minstrel  Club  last  February  gave  two  per- 
formances to  "SRO"  audiences  at  the  Park  Opera  House.  The  string 
quartet,  black-faced  comedians,  musical,  and  fancy  dancing  numbers 
vied  with  the  Japanese  girls,  the  soloists,  and  the  tableaux. 

30 


DEPARTMENTAL  ASSOCIATIONS 

Members 

Foremen's  Association  at  Schenectady 225 

Foremen's  Association  at  Erie 225 

Draughtsmen's  Association  at  Schenectady 400 

Electro  Technique  Club  at  Fort  Wayne 400 

Cost  Accountants'  Association  at  Schenectady 123  / 

Apprentice  Club  at  Schenectady 112 

Apprentice  Club  at  Lynn 80 

Order  &  Stock  Department  Association  at  Schenectady 56 

Power  &  Mining  Department  Bowling  Club  at  Schenectady 48 

Power  &  Mining  Department  Girls'  Bowling  Club  at  Schenectady 13 

Foreign  Department  Bowling  Association  at  Schenectady 20 

Building  Maintenance  Department  Club  at  Erie 20 

Whether  chiefly  for  education  or  recreation,  these  Departmental 
Associations  add  much  to  the  spirit  of  co-operation  in  their  several 
spheres  of  influence.  The  Apprentice  Clubs  have  an  annual  outing  and 
picnic;  others  have  banquets,  motor  trips,  clambakes,  amateur  theatri- 
cals, etc. 

WAR  GARDEN  CLUBS 

Members  Acres 

Schenectady  War  Garden  Club I IOO  95       ) 

Erie  War  Garden  Club 250  55 

Fort  Wayne  War  Garden  Club 118  6.5 

Pittsfield  "Allen  Farm" 300  37 

N.E.L.A.  War  Gardens  at  Cleveland 125  4.5 

Officials,  engineers,  foremen,  mechanics,  and  electricians — all  put 
their  hand  to  the  hoe  and  spade  in  this  patriotic,  economic,  and  health- 
giving  activity.  Motor  ploughs  and  harrows  prepared  the  soil  in  advance 
so  as  to  lighten  the  preliminary  work,  and  sheds  were  provided  for 
storing  the  garden  tools  overnight. 

The  effect  of  the  new  daylight-saving  law  in  lengthening  the  play- 
time after  working  hours,  will  doubtless  be  taken  advantage  of  during 
the  coming  season  by  the  amateur  gardeners.  As  early  as  March,  1918, 
1000  applications  had  been  received  at  Schenectady  alone  for  garden 
plots  to  be  cultivated  during  the  summer. 


CHAPTER  III 

>^ 

MUTUAL  BENEFIT  ASSOCIATION 

An  employees'  organization  largely  under  their  own  management, 
with  financial  transactions  totaling  close  to  $200,000  per  year  and  with 
23,000  voluntary  members  in  six  different  cities — this  is  the  General 
Electric  Mutual  Benefit  Association. 

The  purpose  of  this  chapter  is  to  describe  this  Association,  telling 
what  it  costs  and  what  it  affords  the  members,  and  how  and  when  it  was 
organized;  to  explain  its  scheme  of  operation  and  management  and  its 
various  sources  of  income;  and  lastly,  briefly  to  review  the  main  essential 
points  of  its  organization. 

An  enthusiastic  member  made  the  following  comment  on  the 
protection  afforded  by  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association: 

"The  great  health  and  accident  insurance  companies  of  this  country 
have  several  different  policies  compensating  for  accidents  and  several 
different  policies  compensating  for  sickness;  but  the  'accident'  policies 
do  not  recompense  for  sickness  and  the  'health'  policies  which  protect 
against  sickness  do  not  recompense  for  accidents. 

"An  exception  to  this  is  a  combined  health  and  sickness  policy 
W7hich  costs  considerably  more  than  either  of  the  above.  Many  of  these 
policies,  however,  which  do  protect  against  both  accident  and  sickness, 
do  not  pay  any  death  benefit. 

"The  General  Electric  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  however, 
protects  against  both  accident  and  sickness  and,  in  addition  to  this, 
pays  a  death  benefit  to  the  members. 

"Therefore,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  protection  and  benefits  of  the 
General  Electric  Mutual  Benefit  Association  are  more  comprehensive 
and  liberal  than  those  of  the  companies  who  conduct  their  business  for 
a  profit.  This  would  naturally  be  expected,  since  the  General  Electric 
Mutual  Benefit  Association  is  not  conducted  for  profit,  and  has  no  rent 
nor  salaries  to  pay;  even  its  stationery  and  printed  forms  are  provided 
free  of  expense." 

PROTECTION 

Briefly  stated,  the  protection  consists  of  a  death  benefit  and  a 
weekly  indemnity  while  sick  or  disabled.  The  death  benefit  paid  out 
of  the  treasury  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association  is  $100,  but  the 
General  Electric  Company  supplements  this  by  another  payment  of 
$100;  thus,  in  effect,  making  the  death  benefit  $200.  This  is  payable 
at  once  in  cash  to  the  beneficiary  of  the  deceased  member. 

32 


The  weekly  disability  payment  in  case  of  sickness  is  $6  per  week 
for  men  and  $5  per  week  for  women.  Payment  is  continued  for 
fourteen  weeks  during  any  twelve  consecutive  months.  In  all  periods 
of  disability  members  are  excused  from  paying  dues.  A  visiting  com- 
mittee is  formed  in  each  case  to  call  upon  the  sick  member,  and  in  many 
cases  the  Company's  nurse  likewise  calls  upon  the  patient. 

The  liberality  of  the  arrangement  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  even 
though  a  member  leave  the  employ  of  the  General  Electric  Company 
while  disabled  through  sickness  or  accident,  his  right  to  receive  payment 
of  the  benefits  to  the  full  amount  is  not  annulled  for  a  period  of  two 
years  from  the  beginning  of  the  disability,  provided  that  he  has  not  in 
the  meantime  recovered  from  the  disability  or  secured  remunerative 
employment.  Putting  it  differently,  the  weekly  benefits  are  limited  to 
fourteen  weeks  in  twelve  months,  and  the  right  to  receive  them  is 
extended  over  a  period  of  two  years  from  date  of  such  disability  without 
regard  to  service  in  the  General  Electric  Company.  Similarly,  if  the 
disability  should  result  in  death,  the  death  benefit  would  be  paid  any 
time  during  a  two-year  period,  even  though  the  member  had  left  the 
employ  of  the  General  Electric  Company.  The  Association  follows  the 
wisely  established  practice  of  most  fraternal  organizations  by  omitting 
the  benefit  for  the  first  week  of  disability. 

MEMBERS  ARE  STEADY  WORKERS 

An  interesting  fact  in  connection  with  the  Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion is  that  during  hard  times,  when  business  is  slack,  the  percentage  of 
employees  who  are  members  of  the  Association  increases  rather  sharply. 
In  other  words,  it  appears  from  the  record  that  the  members  of  the 
Association  are  more  steadily  employed  than  those  who  are  not  members. 
This  does  not  indicate  that  when  work  is  slack,  members  of  the  Associa- 
tion are  carried  through  the  hard  times  because  they  are  members  of 
the  Association;  but  it  does  indicate  that  the  steadiest  and  most  far- 
sighted  employees  who  are  interested  in  their  work  are  those  who  have 
already  joined  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association;  and  these  are  retained 
on  the  pay  roll  because  of  their  ability,  and  not  because  they  are  members 
of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association. 

OVER  FOUR  MILLIONS  LIFE  INSURANCE 

Last  year  the  Schenectady,  Lynn,  and  Pittsfield  Mutual  Benefit 
Associations  paid  benefits  to  members  amounting  to  approximately 
$80,000.  The  total  of  death  and  sick  benefits  in  the  various  factories 
of  the  General  Electric  Company  approximates  $100,000  per  year.  The 
amount  of  life  insurance  carried  by  all  these  Associations  is  over 
$4,500,000. 

33 


FINANCING  THE  ASSOCIATION 

The  cost  of  this  triple  protection  against  death,  sickness,  and  acci- 
dent varies  from  nothing  a  year  in  some  sections,  up  to  a  maximum  of 
$5.20  per  year.  The  cost  per  member  averaged  $4.07  at  Lynn  in  1916; 
and  the  average  at  Schenectady  was  but  $3.97  in  1917. 

It  would  not  be  fair  to  health  and  accident  insurance  companies  to 
compare  their  cost  and  the  protection  offered  with  the  cost  and  pro- 
tection offered  by  the  General  Electric  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  as 
the  latter,  it  might  be  said,  is  literally  "in  business  for  its  health."  The 
fundamental  idea  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association  is  to  help  one 
another  and  not  to  make  a  profit.  The  administration  expenses,  including 


FIELD  DAY,  PITTSFIELD  WORKS  SECTION,  GENERAL  ELECTRIC  COMPANY 
MUTUAL  BENEFIT  ASSOCIATION 

stationery  and  blank  forms,  are  paid  by  the  General  Electric  Company, 
and  these  with  the  auxiliary  $100  benefit,  amount  to  approximately 
$18,000  for  the  year  1916. 

The  combination  of  health,  accident,  and  life  insurance  purchased 
from  corporations  engaged  in  this  enterprise  is  expensive.  Factory 
workers  are  not  inclined  to  invest  a  large  sum  of  money  in  advance  for 
such  purposes;  therefore,  the  method  pursued  by  this  Association  in 
collecting  its  dues  of  ten  cents  every  week  has  been  largely  responsible 
for  its  phenomenal  growth.  However,  for  industrial  managers  who  care 
to  go  into  this  question,  it  would  be  interesting  to  obtain  data  on  death, 
accident,  and  life  insurance  and  see  if  any  protection  could  be  purchased 
for  $4  per  year!  It  will  be  obvious  that  an  internal  organization  can 

34 


perform  a  service  among  fellow  employees  which  it  would  be  practically 
impossible  for  an  outside  corporation  to  carry  on  at  a  profit,  or  even  at 
cost  under  existing  conditions.  In  other  words,  there  are  thousands  of 
employees  who  would  not  have  any  protection  against  the  contingencies 
of  accident,  were  it  not  for  this  Association,  formed  and  conducted  by 
fellow  employees.  This  recalls  the  fact,  shown  in  one  of  the  following 
chapters  dealing  with  fire  protection  in  the  General  Electric  Company, 
that  a  decided  advantage  results  from  adopting  the  plan  of  mutual 
fire  insurance;  and  just  so  the  mutual  life,  health,  and  accident  insurance 
has  proved  a  wonderful  success. 

OTHER  SOURCES  OF  INCOME 

The  total  receipts  of  the  various  Mutual  Benefit  Associations  are 
approximately  $100,000  per  year.  In  addition  to  the  dues  from  members, 
the  Association  has  other  small  sources  of  income,  principally  the  annual 
field  days  held  at  Lynn,  Schenectady,  and  Pittsfield.  The  receipts  from 
these  field  days  are  turned  into  the  treasury  of  the  Mutual  Benefit 
Association.  Dances  are  held  from  time  to  time;  and  other  entertain- 
ments, more  or  less  impromptu  in  their  nature,  assist  in  swelling  the 
treasury  fund  and  in  reducing  the  dues  paid  by  the  members.  These 
events  meet  with  hearty  response  from  the  members,  for  the  money 
paid  for  admission  to  the  various  entertainments  and  amusements  is 
practically  refunded  to  them  by  a  lessening  of  their  dues.  This  results 
in  a  large  attendance  at  such  events,  an  illustration  of  which  is  seen  in 
the  1917  Schenectady  field  day,  for  which  over  13,000  tickets  were  sold. 

The  slogan  adopted  for  this  fourth  annual  field  day  which  appeared 
on  posters  displayed  throughout  the  plant,  was:  "Suspend  assessments 
to  the  death  benefit  fund.  Twenty  thousand  tickets  to  be  sold — two 
tickets  per  member.  Buy  noV  and  cancel  later  payments." 

Good-natured  rivalry  was  shown  in  the  ticket-selling  contests 
between  sections,  and  $75  was  divided  as  first  and  second  prizes  for 
the  two  sections  selling  the  greatest  number  of  tickets.  In  preparing 
for  this  field  day  a  special  committee  was  appointed,  and  one  of  the 
indirect  benefits  which  resulted  was  a  wider  acquaintanceship  between 
those  sharing  in  the  management  of  the  event. 

The  receipts  for  the  last  field  day  were  $1400.  After  expenses  were 
deducted  for  the  prizes,  etc.,  a  net  balance  of  $1125  was  added  to  the 
death  benefit  fund. 

It  might  be  well  to  mention  that  these  field  days  are  under  the 
direct  auspices  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association  and  are  separate  and 
distinct  from  the  General  Electric  Athletic  Association. 

The  attendance  at  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association  field  day  at  Lynn 
was  over  30,000,  and  the  total  proceeds  of  last  year's  entertainments 
were  $2836. 

35 


At  Pittsfield  special  stress  is  laid  upon  the  social  features  of  the 
Mutual  Benefit  Association  and  the  fraternal  spirit  developed  by  the 


various  entertainments. 


SCENES  AT  1917  ANNUAL  FIELD  DAY  AND  PARADE  OF  LYNN  WORKS  SECTION, 
G-E  MUTUAL  BENEFIT   ASSOCIATION 

"The  Mikado"  was  reproduced  by  members  of  the  Association 
at  the  Colonial  Theater  and  the  attendance  was  1418  and  included 
about  100  outsiders.  All  of  the  performers  were  members,  and  the 
rehearsals  and  various  negotiations  connected  with  the  management 

36 


of  the    affair   contributed    in   developing   executive    ability   among  the 
employees. 

An  electrical  fair  was  participated  in  by  the  members  of  the  Associa- 
tion, and  the  dance,  attended  by  1200  young  people,  netted  a  profit  of 
nearly  $200. 


FIELD  DAY,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS  SECTION,  G-E  MUTUAL  BENEFIT  ASSOCIATION 


FINANCIAL  STATISTICS 

The  financial  operations  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association  in 
Schenectady  over  the  period  of  four  and  a  half  years  which  it  has  been 
in  existence,  may  be  summarized  in  round  numbers: 


Total  receipts 

Total  disbursements.. 


Balance  on  hand 

Number  of  sickness  claims 

Total  sickness  benefits 

Death  benefits: 

(Mutual  Benefit  Association) 
(General  Electric  Company) . 


$86,800 
68,700 

$18,100 

2,494 

49,630 

$10,500 
7,800 


Total $18,300 

ESTABLISHED  FOR  17  YEARS 

The  plan  of  organization  and  management  of  the  six  Mutual 
Benefit  Associations  of  the  General  Electric  Company  is  practically 
identical  with  the  original  plan  conceived  in  the  Lynn  Works  in  1902. 
It  is  fitting  to  record  that  these  great  activities  sprung  from  one  man's 
idea,  whose  faith  in  the  success  of  the  plan  was  so  great  that  he  personally 
loaned  a  sum  of  money  to  form  the  nucleus  of  the  Lynn  Association. 

37 


It  is  impossible  to  estimate  the  amount  of  distress  which  has  been  alle- 
viated by  this  altruistic  deed  and  the  idea  which  time  has  proved  so 
successful. 


SCENES  AT  RECENT  G-E  MUTUAL  BENEFIT  ASSOCIATION  FIELD  DAY,  LYNN  SECTION 

SCHEME  OF  OPERATION 

If  the  Schenectady  death  benefit  fund  is  equal  to  $3000  or  more,  no 
assessments  are  levied  against  the  section  treasuries;  but  when  the 
death  benefit  fund,  owing  to  payment  to  families  of  deceased  members, 

38 


falls  to  $1500  or  less,  monthly  assessments  are  made  on  each  section 
equivalent  to  ten  cents  for  each  member  of  the  section.  This  minimum 
and  maximum  of  the  death  fund  varies  in  the  different  associations, 
according  to  their  size.  In  some  associations  $1000  is  the  maximum 
and  others  $2000,  etc.  Similarly,  when  the  treasury  of  each  section 
shows  a  balance  of  $300  or  more,  the  payment  of  dues  by  members  is 
suspended  until  such  time  as  the  balance  is  reduced  by  the  payment 
of  sick  benefits  to  $200,  when  the  maximum  assessment  often  cents  per 
week  is  levied  upon  each  member. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  how  a  payment  of  over  $2800  into  the 
death  benefit  fund,  resulting  from  the  annual  field  day  and  other  enter- 
tainments at  Lynn  last  year,  resulted  in  a  direct  suspension  of  dues  from 
the  members.  Each  section  of  the  Association  collects  its  own  dues  and 
compensates  its  own  members  for  disability. 

The  advantage  of  the  subdivision  into  sections  not  only  makes 
the  work  of  collection  easier,  but  groups  together,  for  mutual  aid,  the 
employees  in  a  department.  It  establishes,  therefore,  a  community  of 
active  interest  in  each  small  group.  New  employees  of  the  department, 
when  approached  with  a  request  to  join,  will  usually  be  attracted  to  an 
organization  composed  of  fellow  workers  in  the  same  department,  while 
they  might  hesitate  to  join  a  large  organization  of  the  whole  Works. 
On  account  of  the  acquaintanceship  among  the  members,  the  genuineness 
of  the  disability  claims  can  readily  be  established,  and  fraudulent 
practices  are,  therefore,  easily  prevented.  Finally,  by  a  subdivision 
of  the  Association  into  groups,  the  Company  is  given  a  better  opportunity 
of  coming  into  touch  with  individual  members  than  would  otherwise  be 
the  case. 

MEMBERSHIP 

Membership  begins  with  the  payment  of  an  initiation  fee  of  50 
cents  and  the  first  week's  dues  of  ten  cents.  Thereafter,  ten  cents  is 
payable  and  collected  every  week  in  advance  and  no  member  can  be 
obliged  to  make  any  further  contribution.  As  previously  stated  this 
payment  is  suspended  altogether  for  shorter  or  longer  periods  when  the 
section  treasury  shows  a  balance  of  $300  or  more.  This  provision  stimu- 
lates economical  administration  of  the  funds  in  each  section,  and  estab- 
lishes a  wholesome  rivalry  among  the  various  sections.  It  arouses  the 
interest  of  the  members  themselves,  who  have  it  largely  in  their  power 
to  secure  inexpensive  insurance  for  themselves  by  maintaining  a  full 
quota  of  membership  in  their  section,  and  by  carefully  but  sympatheti- 
cally scrutinizing  all  claims  for  disability  payments,  to  the  end  that  only 
just  claims  shall  be  allowed.  Finally,  it  prevents  the  accumulation  of 
unnecessarily  large  funds  in  the  treasuries. 

39 


Many  sections  have  thus  been  enabled  to  suspend  payment  of  dues 
for  a  part  of  the  year;  some  have  even  afforded  their  members  full 
insurance  for  the  whole  year  at  no  cost  whatsoever! 

SIZE  AND  GROWTH 

With  a  membership  of  22,675  in  tne  summer  of  1917,  the  Mutual 
Benefit  Association  stands  in  an  enviable  position  among  co-operative 
employees'  associations.  Some  large  corporations  have  benefit  associa- 


Pittsfield  -43% 
Ft.  Wayne -27% 
Erie  —  —33% 
Soraaue  —  62% 


-f-^  Equals  44.6%  of  Jotal 
'      Number  of  Em f/oytas 


Total  Membership 


«•—  Schenectady  -4Z% 


L  y/7/7 59% 


Fig.  233.     CURVES  SHOWING  GROWTH  OF  MEMBERSHIP  OF  GENERAL   ELECTRIC 
MUTUAL  BENEFIT  ASSOCIATION 


tions  whose  membership  is  compulsory;  so  the  success  of  this  Association 
is  all  the  more  gratifying  because  membership  is  voluntary.  It  will  be 
recalled  that  the  idea  was  first  conceived  in  Lynn,  Mass.  Fifteen  years 
ago  there  were  but  656  members  and,  as  seen  in  the  curves  of  membership, 
the  growth  was  quite  gradual  during  the  first  ten  years.  However,  the 
membership  in  the  past  two  years  has  increased  very  rapidly — 81  per  cent 
—as  shown  in  Fig.  23  a. 

Only  in  the  year  1917  did  the  Schenectady  Association,  organized 
four  years  and  a  half  ago,  in  March,  1913,  exceed  in  size  the  Association 
at  the  Lynn  Works.  The  Lynn  Association,  however,  can  boast  of  a 
larger  percentage  of  membership,  58.7  per  cent  of  the  employees  being 
members  in  1917,  against  42  per  cent  in  the  Schenectady  Association 
during  this  its  greatest  year. 

The  Association  at  the  Sprague  Works  has  the  largest  percentage 
of  employees  as  members,  and  the  Pittsfield  Association  shows  a  greater 
proportionate  development  in  point  of  time  than  others,  it  being  but 
two  years  old  and  having  43  per  cent  of  the  employees  as  members. 


40 


Fig.  24  permits  a  careful  study  of  the  fluctuation  in  the  total  number 
of  employees  and  members  at  the  Lynn  Works.  As  mentioned  earlier 
in  this  chapter,  when  periods  of  depression  occur,  such  as  in  1908  and 
1915,  a  sharp  increase  is  noted  in  the  percentage  of  employees  who  are 
members  of  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association.  In  1915,  72  per  cent  of 
the  total  number  of  employees  were  members  of  the  Association. 


13000 


1000 


1903         1905         /907 


1911          1913          I9IS          1917 


Year 


Fig.  24.    NUMBER  OF  EMPLOYEES  AND  MEMBERSHIP  OF  MUTUAL  BENEFIT 
ASSOCIATION,  LYNN  WORKS 


A  study  of  Fig.  29,  which  gives  the  same  information  for  the  Sprague 
Works,  reveals  the  same  situation  to  an  even  more  pronounced  degree, 
for  here  it  is  clearly  shown  that  during  the  1908  depression  the  member- 
ship was  79  per  cent,  and  during  the  1915  slump  it  rose  to  82  per  cent 
of  the  total  number  of  employees  in  the  Works.  Very  few  of  those  who 
were  laid  off  were  members  of  the  Association. 

Fig.  25  shows  the  phenomenal  growth  of  the  Association's  percentage 
at  the  Schenectady  Works  during  its  comparatively  recent  existence- 
four  and  a  half  years. 

Similarly,  Figs.  26,  27,  and  28  show  respectively  the  situation  at  the 
Erie,  Pittsfield,  and  Fort  Wayne  Works,  and  it  will  be  noted  that  the 
progress  of  the  Association  clearly  proves  that  the  idea  upon  which  it 
was  founded  has  finally  met  with  a  most  enthusiastic  reception  on  the 
part  of  General  Electric  employees  as  a  whole. 

41 


DOUBLY  MUTUAL 

The  mutual  features  in  connection  with  the  Association  are  of  two 
kinds,  viz.,  mutual  advantages  to  the  employees  themselves,  and  mutual 


22000 
20000 
18000 
16000 
14000 
11000 

ioooo 

8000 
6000 
4000 
WOO 
0 

-*• 

X 

i^ 

> 

~~~. 

-» 

£•/ 

•"/ 

7/1 

qt 

es 

j 

X 

X 

> 

x 

/ 

\ 

^ 

4 

.5 

>S 

X 

^ 

^ 

'A 

^ 

1 

/^ 

p^ 

•^ 

7m 

„*•••• 

n 

6.T& 

0** 

1312           1913          1915          1915          1916           1917          191 

Year 
Fig.  25.     EMPLOYEES  AND  MEMBERSHIP,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

advantages  in  the  relations  between  the  employees  and  the  Company. 
The  mutuality  among  the  employees  has  already  been  discussed  in 
connection  with  protection,  acquaintanceship,  and  entertainments. 
The  relation  between  the  Company  and  the  employees  is  almost  entirely 


\2700 

\  2400 

g  2/^ 

•|   1800 

^  /5^^ 

t  1X00 

"I     900 

*      600 

300 

0 


ISIS  1916  1917  1918 

Fig.  26.    EMPLOYEES  AND  MEMBERSHIP,  ERIE  WORKS 

indirect  and  psychological,  but  none  the  less  important.  The  fact  that 
few  of  the  members  of  the  Association  are  laid  off  during  the  slack  times 
is  one  indication  that  the  members  of  the  Association  are  able  and 
trustworthy  employees.  And,  since  the  Company  encourages  the 


42 


Mutual  Benefit  Association  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  executives  in 
charge  of  its  affairs  consider  such  activities  on  the  part  of  the  employees 
as  really  mutual  with  respect  to  the  Company's  welfare. 


Number  of  Members  and  Emp/oyees 

I  ^  £  §  &  ^  c 

/ 

/ 

f 

/ 

'. 

\ 

/ 

k 

f 

\ 

/ 

s 

L 

rr 

/' 

* 

e 

as 

> 

j 

\ 

/ 

'•v 

^ 

< 

A 

e/ 

«/( 

o 

•:> 

S 

'45.2% 

]fS 

4-i 

V 

' 

I9IZ  1913          1914-         /S/5  1916  1917         I?»A 

Year 

Fig.  27.     EMPLOYEES  AND  MEMBERSHIP,  PITTSFIELD  WORKS 

EXTENSIONS 
TABLE  OF  MEMBERSHIP 


Year 

Schenec- 
tady 

Lynn 

Sprague 

Fort 
Wayne 

Pittsfield 

Erie 

Total  No. 
Members 

1902 

656 

656 

1903 

1,285 

1,285 

1904 

1,856 

1,856 

1905 

2,591 

2,591 

1906 

2,874 

300 

3,174 

1907 

3,076 

305 

3,381 

1908 

2,524 

200 

2,724 

.      1909 

3,684 

200 

3,884 

1910 

4,785 

250 

5-035 

I9II 

5,040 

275 

5,315 

1912 

5,9H 

310 

492 

6,713 

1913 

I>346 

5,963 

315 

601 

8,225 

1914 

2,256 

5,857 

300 

751 

9,164 

1915 

3,620 

6,143 

250 

111 

10,790 

1916 

6,875 

7,093 

325 

994 

2,410 

900 

18,597 

1917 

9,460              7,408 

400 

1,205 

3,052           1,150 

22,675 

Total  No.  of  em- 

ployees in  1917 

22,6OO            12,644 

650 

4,372 

7,050       J    3,500 

Grand  total  number  of  employees  in  General  Electric  factories  above 50,816 

Grand  total  number  of  members  in  Mutual  Benefit  Association 222,675 

Percentage  of  employees  who  are  members  of  Mutual  Benefit  Association. 44.6  per  cent 


At  the  Lynn  Works  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association  activities  are 
extended  to  include  additional  features  as  follows: 

i.  Additional  emergency  benefits  payable  to  disabled  members 
in  such  amounts  and  manner  as  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  emer- 
gency fund  may  allow. 


4000 


g  3000 

I 
\20Q6 


1000 


1912  1913  1914  /9/S  1916  1917          1918 


Fig.  28.     EMPLOYEES  AND  MEMBERSHIP,  FORT  WAYNE  WORKS 

2.  Temporary  loans  at  no  interest  charge  or  other  extra  cost  which 
the  loan  fund  committee  may  decide  to  grant  to  any  member  of  more 
than  one  year's  standing. 

3.  Banquets   attended    by  officers,   committees,    and   members   of 
sections.    These  are  held  in  the  large,  new  restaurant,  which  is  admirably 
adapted  to  such  events. 


Number  of  Emp/oyees  and  Men 

J 

j 

^ 

* 

v: 

es 

X 

' 

\ 

LI 

•fi[ 

% 

i 

\ 

* 

/ 

^« 

•*. 

--TI 

s, 

f 

g 

t 

s 

0 

^ 

61% 

\ 

^ 

M 

^^ 

en 
H 

7» 

N, 

t 

^ 

'f>< 

~% 

f>A 

% 

h 

n 

\ 

\ 

/^ 

S 

7<?% 

65 

% 

v 

^ 

S 

\ 

^ 

^ 

5o°/o 

w 

% 

73 

% 

6 

0%, 

1902           1904          1906         1308          1910           I9IZ           1914-           1916            /S 

Year 

Fig.  29.     EMPLOYEES  AND  MEMBERSHIP,  SPRAGUE  WORKS 


At  Pittsfield  the  presentation  of  theatrical  entertainments,  such  as 
the  "Mikado,"  is  a  step  in  advance  in  fostering  the  social  and  fraternal 
spirit. 


ESSENTIAL  POINTS  OF  ORGANIZATION 

A  study  of  the  structural  organization  suggests  clearly  five  features 
as  important  factors  in  the  achievement  of  success.  They  are: 

1.  Subdivision  of  the  Association  into  small,  self-acting  and  self- 
administering  though  closely  connected  bodies — the  sections. 

2.  Management  of  these  subdivisions  by  the  members  themselves, 
with  only  a  general  supervision  of  all  by  a  representative  of  the  Company. 

3.  Limitation  of  the  trust  funds  in  the  treasuries  to  such  amounts 
as,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  would  seem  sufficient  for  the  payment 
of  all  guaranteed  benefits. 

4.  Utilization  of  practically  all  contributed  moneys  for  the  purpose 
for  which  they  are  contributed — sickness,  accident,  and  life  insurance. 

5.  Simplicity  of  administration. 

These  principles  and  the  method  of  their  application  have  proved 
efficacious  and  afford  the  employees  the  cheapest  insurance  against 
disability  and  death,  consistent  with  safe  and  sane  management;  and 
at  the  same  time  develop  contentment  among  the  members,  and  relations 
of  mutual  loyalty  between  the  employees  and  the  Works'  management. 


CHAPTER  IV 


fifi 


SAFETY  WORK  OR  THE  PREVENTION  OF  ACCIDENTS 

In  these  days  when  the  conservation  of  all  our  national  resources 
is  given  serious  thought  by  all  true  lovers  of  America,  the  conserva- 
tion of  man-power  through  the  prevention  of  accidents  is  a  subject 
of  first  importance. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  article  to  point  out  the  methods  pursued 
and  the  results  accomplished  by  the  Safety  Committee  of  the  General 
Electric  Company  to  reduce  the  number  of  accidents  to  employees. 
While  complete  figures  are  not  available  for  all  of  the  factories  of  the 
Company  at  this  writing,  an  indication  of  the  results  accomplished  by 
the  campaign  for  accident  prevention  is  afforded  by  the  adjacent  figures. 
•vThe  growing  tendency  of  the  employee  to  have  minor  injuries 
treated  at  the  emergency  hospital,  in  order  that  the  danger  of  blood- 
poisoning  may  be  lessened,  has  resulted  in  a  large  increase  in  the  number 
of  first  aid  cases  treated,  with  a  corresponding  decrease  in  the  number 
of  infections.  The  large  number  of  new  employees  in  1916,  many  of 
whom  were  inexperienced,  resulted  in  many  injuries  which  in  all  proba- 
bility would  not  have  happened  to  older  and  more  experienced  workmen 
working  under  normal  conditions. 

HOW  THE  RESULTS  WERE  ACCOMPLISHED 

A  blank  form  was  provided,  on  which  particulars  of  all  accidents, 
however  slight,  were  reported  to  the  Safety  Committee  by  the  foreman. 
These  reports  showed  that  most  accidents  resulted  from  a  few  causes. 

The  study  of  these  records  was  supplemented  by  a  check  on  indi- 
vidual cases  until  it  was  established  beyond  doubt  that  the  statistics 
represented  general  conditions. 

The  methods  of  preventing  specific  kinds  of  accidents  will  be 
discussed  extensively  later;  but  some  interesting  high  lights  revealed  by 
these  statistics  will  be  mentioned  first. 

PITTSFIELD  WORKS 


Percentage  of 

Year 

No.  of                                     No.  of  Lost                                Employees 
Employees                             Time  Accidents                           Meeting  with 
Accidents 

1912 

4,913 

1,850 

37.6 

1913 

5352 

i,353                                23.1 

1914 

4,385 

573 

13.06 

1915 

3,904 

353 

9.04 

I9l6 

5,378 

721 

13-4 

46 


LYNN  WORKS 


1 

Percentage  of 

Year 

No.  of                                   No.  of  Lost 
Employees                              Time  Accidents 

Employees 
Meeting  with 

Accidents 

1913 

12,272 

777 

6.3 

1914 

10,895 

513                                 4-7 

1915 

8,499 

719                                 8.5 

I9l6 

10,562 

1,096 

10-4 

SCHENECTADY  WORKS 


1913 

19,977 

1,284 

6.4 

1914 

16,823 

829 

4-9 

1915 

14,347 

662 

4-3 

1916 

20,985 

i>355 

6.5 

NOTE. — A  "lost  time"  accident  is  one  causing  a  loss  of  time  of  five  hours  or  more. 

INTERESTING  FACTS  DEVELOPED  AT  PITTSFIELD 

The  most  careful  age  was  found  to  be  37  years. 

The  ages  showing  most  accidents  in  proportion  to  number  of  employees  were  between 
22  and  26  years,  and  50  years  and  over. 

The  hour  showing  most  accidents  was  from  9  to  10  a.m. 

Fifty  per  cent  of  the  accidents  occur  to  new  employees,  or  those  who  have  been  less  than 
six  months  in  one  position. 

Contrary  to  general  belief,  the  foreign  born  employees  are  quick  in  acquiring  the  safety 
habit,  if  taught. 

More  accidents  occur  on  Monday  than  on  any  other  day. 

More  accidents  occur  in  the  hot  season  than  in  the  cold. 

Over  80  per  cent  of  the  accidents  are  due  to  carelessness. 

The  average  woman  on  the  same  kind  of  work  meets  with  an  accident  only  one  third 
as  frequently  as  the  average  man. 

THE  EDUCATIONAL  CAMPAIGN 

A  competent  executive  was  engaged  at  Pittsfield  to  instruct  the 
employees  inside  the  Works,  as  well  as  to  extend  the  propaganda  to  the 
entire  population  of  the  city. 

INSIDE  THE  WORKS 

While  collecting  the  statistics,  photographs  were  taken  showing 
the  causes  and  results  of  specific  accidents.  Lantern  slides  were  made 
from  these  photographs,  and  these  together  with  the  data  collected 
formed  the  bases  for  lectures.  The  last  half  of  the  noon  hour  was  fre- 
quently employed  to  give  these  lectures,  and  the  "horrible  example"  of 
those  who  had  been  injured  either  through  their  own  carelessness  or 
that  of  others  was  forcibly  shown  by  the  photographs  and  description. 

The  foremen  served  to  radiate  the  general  information,  as  well  as 
to  personally  instruct  employees  in  certain  processes  which  had  been 
found  hazardous.  As  a  result  of  this  campaign,  employees  have  been 


47 


urged  to  report  carelessness  in  others,  and  those  who  show  habitual 
carelessness  are  encouraged  to  seek  less  dangerous  fields  of  work,  and  if 
they  fail  to  improve  are  subject  to  discharge. 

A  magazine  containing  items  of  general  interest  but  always  some 
article  about  safety  is  printed  at  each  of  the  factories  and  distributed 
gratis  among  the  employees.  These  articles  are  made  to  supplement  the 
lectures,  and  in  some  of  the  factories  the  head  of  the  safety  work  is 
editor  of  the  paper. 

Safety  literature  is  distributed  among  the  men,  and  a  series  of 
posters,  almost  half  of  them  illustrated  with  photographs  or  artists' 
drawings,  are  designed  and  posted  in  prominent  places  throughout  the 
Works.  These  posters  are  changed  semi-monthly,  and  are  written  in 
strong,  simple  English,  in  many  cases  the  pictures  telling  the  story. 

OUTSIDE  THE  WORKS 

The  local  newspapers  gave  prominence  to  the  safety  worker's 
activities,  and  even  commented  editorially  upon  the  value  of  his  services 
to  the  community. 

Lectures  were  given  in  halls  and  schools  and  to  the  Boy  Scouts, 
so  that  the  habit  of  carefulness  could  be  instilled  in  the  youth  as  well  as 
the  skilled  workman.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  co-operated  generously,  donating 
its  auditorium  as  a  meeting  place  for  many  of  these  lectures,  discussions, 
and  demonstrations. 

MECHANICAL  AND  ELECTRICAL  SAFEGUARDS 

^Supplementing  the  educational  activities,  the  Company'*;  fngirip^rg 
and  production  experts,  upon  recommendations  of  the  safety  committee, 
Tpent  lafge  sums  tor  safeguards.  A  lengthy  discussion  of  these  will  be 
omitted  Because  of  their  technical  nature,  but  in  general,  wherever  a 
machine  could  be  instantly  stopped  by  an  electrical  pushbutton  or  by 
other  means,  and  human  life  and  limb  thus  made  safer,  the  appropriation 
was  forthcoming  for  these  devices. 

Those  responsible  for  the  safety  work  in  the  various  factories  give 
their  first  attention  to  providing  proper  safeguards  on  those  machines 
which  present  the  greatest  hazard  to  the  workmen.  For  instance,  punch 
presses  are  recognized  as  dangerous  machines  unless  properly  guarded. 
Accidents  are  likely  to  occur  with  this  class  of  machinery  from  the  press 
repeating  while  the  hands  of  the  operator  are  under  the  die,  in  the  act 
of  either  placing  or  removing  the  work.  Special  attention  was  given  to 
eliminating  this  danger,  in  many  cases  the  presses  being  changed  from 
foot  tripping  operation  to  a  mode  of  operation  which  requires  that  both 
hands  be  removed  from  under  the  die  before  the  press  can  be  operated. 
In  other  cases  non-repeating  tripping  devices  were  attached  which  would 

48 


only  permit  one  stroke  of  the  press  at  a  time.  Automatic  mechanical 
and  pneumatic  feeding  devices  have  been  developed  for  presses  working 
on  long  strips  or  rolls,  which  make  it  unnecessary  to  place  the  hands  under 
the  die.  Where  large  numbers  of  small  pieces  are  required,  a  magazine 
feed  has  been  developed,  so  that  the  operator  has  only  to  feed  a  large 


LIGHT  AND  VENTILATION  IN  BLACKSMITH  SHOP 


hopper.  In  fact,  wherever  the  work  will  permit  some  rearrangement  of 
the  work  or  of  the  machines  is  made,  or  some  type  of  guard  is  used 
which  will  obviate  the  necessity  of  the  hand  being  placed  under  the 
die,  or  the  press  is  made  inoperative  while  the  hand  is  there.  Where 
guards  are  not  practical,  pliers  are  used  for  placing  the  work  and  a  jet 
of  air  is  employed  for  removing  it.  The  care  which  has  been  taken  to 
eliminate  the  danger  incident  to  the  use  of  this  class  of  machinery  has 
reduced  the  number  of  accidents  to  a  minimum. 

The  majority  of  protective  devices  for  machines  consists  of  Ixlt 
and  gear  guards  of  great  variety,  and  much  constructive  ingenuity  has 
been  displayed  in  avoiding  interference  with  the  operation  of  the  ma- 
chines and  at  the  same  time  affording  adequate  protection  to  the  oper- 
ator. It  was  found  that  in  numerous  cases  where  it  was  necessary  to 
remove  the  guard  to  make  adjustments  to  the  machine,  the  operator 

49 


would  neglect  to  replace  it,  with  the  result  that  accidents  occurred  from 
this  form  of  carelessness.  To  obviate  accidents  of  this  kind,  the  belt 
and  gear  guards  are  made  part  of  the  machine.  They  are  rigidly  con- 
structed, and  doors  are  placed  so  that  the  removal  of  the  guards  is 
unnecessary  for  making  adjustments. 

The  operation  of  grinding  wheels  would  be  dangerous,  due  to  burst- 
ing from  excessive  speed  or  to  a  fracture  in  the  wheel,  if  proper  pre- 


BATTERY  OF  PUNCH  PRESSES  EQUIPPED  WITH  "SIMPLICITY"  GUARD  IN  OPERA- 
TION.   PRESS  CANNOT  BE  OPERATED  WHILE  GUARD  IS  UP 

cautions  were  not  taken  to  safeguard  them.  Experiments  were  made 
which  resulted  in  a  reduction  of  the  grinding  speeds,  and  the  wheels 
have  been  completely  enclosed,  except  that  portion  actually  necessary 
for  performing  the  work.  The  results  obtained  by  these  precautions 
have  been  very  gratifying,  as  accidents  from  grinding  wrheels  have  been 
entirely  eliminated. 

OTHER  SCHEMES  FOR  ACCIDENT  PREVENTION 

In  one  building  at  the  Schenectady  Works,  every  week  3,000,000 
screws  are  made,  and  2,000,000  are  used  in  wiring  devices.  Most  of 
the  screwdriving  is  done  by  power,  and  in  this  building  over  300 
electrically  driven  screwdrivers  are  being  operated  by  girls.  The 


principal  feature  of  this  device  is  the  auto-start  and  auto-stop 
mechanism.  The  screwdriver  does  not  begin  to  rotate  until  the  work 
has  been  brought  in  contact  with  it,  and  after  the  screw  has  been  driven 
home  the  screwdriver  ceases  to  rotate,  through  the  operation  of  a 
cleverly  devised  slipping  clutch. 

In   metal  spinning,   spring  making,   and  on  kick  presses  for  light 
punching  and  perforating,  metal  saws,  milling  machines,  and  a  score  of 


TYPE  OF  EXPANDED  METAL  GUARD  USED  ON  DRILL  PRESSES 

other  machines,  all  dangerous  moving  parts  are  completely  enclosed. 
This  has  been  done  so  thoroughly  that  one  girl  voiced  her  appreciation 
in  the  following  comment:  "Everything  that  is  movable  cannot  be 
touched,  and  anything  that  can  be  touched  is  not  movable." 

In  walking  through  the  Schenectady  Works  one  is  impressed  with  \ 
the  miles  of  ventilating  pipes  which  convey  dust,  offensive  odors,  and 
injurious  gases  to  the  external  air.  These  ventilating  systems  are  motor- 
driven,  and  they  give  the  observer  a  new  appreciation  of  electricity,  for 
little  motors  hardly  larger  than  a  quart  bottle  are  faithfully  protecting 
the  health  of  hundreds  of  workers.  Many  rooms  in  which  manufacturing 
processes  are  being  carried  on,  such  as  melting  wax,  spraying  lacquer,  or 


handling  powders,  were  found  to  be  entirely  free  from  odors  or  dust. 
This  result  was  accomplished  by  providing  large  metal  hoods  into  which 
the  objectionable  materials  were  carried  by  the  inrushing  air  of  the 
ventilating  system. 

A  thing  of  interest  was  a  metal  finger  used  to  indicate  the  precise 
point  at  which  melted  sealing  wax  was  being  dropped  from  a  melting  pot. 
As  one  man  remarked:  "That  one  metal  finger  has  saved  many  a  burned 
thumb." 


I 


BELT  GUARD  ON  PROFILER 

On  many  of  the  small  kick-presses  for  light  perforating  work,  a 
metal  finger  attached  to  a  swivel  guard  automatically  pushes  aside  the 
hand  of  the  operator  before  the  ram  descends  to  pierce  the  metal.  One 
girl  operator  said:  "This  machine  is  almost  human,  for  if  I  were  to  forget 
and  leave  my  hand  in  danger  I  would  not  only  be  saved  from  injury,  but 
likewise  slapped  on  the  wrist  for  my  carelessness." 

Some  of  the  processes  involve  the  cutting  of  millions  of  little  strips 
of  metal  from  ribbons  of  zinc.  These  ribbons  are  fed  into  the  machine 
through  a  narrow  slot  scarcely  larger  than  the  metal  itself,  and  no  part 
of  the  operator's  body  can  get  into  the  danger  zone  by  accident. 


On  the  stamping  machines  which  are  power- driven  this  method  of 
protection  is  used,  as  well  as  another  which  makes  it  necessary  Tor  both 
of  the  operator's  hands  to  be  clear  of  the  material  being  worked  before 
the  ram  descends  upon  it.  The  trigger  releasing  the  machinery  is  also 
the  safety  device  itself,  for  in  order  to  make  the  machine  operate  it  is 
necessary  to  pull  down  the  guard.  This  is  not  a  case  of  adding  a  safety 
device  to  a  machine,  but  of  redesigning  a  machine  so  that  a  vital  portion 
of  the  operating  mechanism  is  the  safety  device. 


OPERATOR  WEARING  RESPIRATOR  WHICH  IS  USED  IN  PLACES  WHERE  VENTILATING 
OR  EXHAUSTING  SYSTEMS  CANNOT  SUCCESSFULLY  REMOVE  INJURIOUS  DUST 

An  interesting  variation  of  punch  press  operation  consists  in  having 
a  revolving  table  carry  the  work  under  the  punch  press;  sometimes  the 
metal  is  worked  upon  by  the  tool  at  as  great  a  distance  as  18  inches  from 
the  operator's  hand. 

A  general  principle  observed  by  the  safety  experts  of  the  General 
Electric  Company  is:  "Bring  the  work  to  the  tool  and  not  the  tool  to 
the  work."  By  this  means  the  number  of  possible  combinations  of 
movements  is  materially  lessened;  because  with  a  moving  tool  and  a 
moving  hand  the  possibility  of  lack  of  co-ordination  is  increased.  This 
practice  has  been  specially  followed  in  tapping  machines  where  a  jig 
holds  the  work  secure  and  the  jig  is  then  brought  to  the  tap. 

The  same  practice  is  followed  in  most  soldering  processes  and  has 
prevented  numerous  burned  fingers.  The  electrically  heated  soldering 

53 


iron  is  permanently  fixed  at  the  proper  angle  and  the  parts  to  be  soldered 
are  brought  into  contact  with  the  hot  point.  Identical  methods  are 
employed  for  melting  sealing  wax. 

In  a  few  cases  where  a  variety  of  soldering  is  to  be  done,  the  weight 
of  the  soldering  iron  is  carried  by  a  helical  spring — taking  advantage  of 
the  well-known  fact  that  if  the  strength  of  the  operator  is  conserved  and 
fatigue  is  lessened,  inaccuracies  are  minimized.  Where  intermittent 
soldering  processes  are  performed,  a  rack  is  provided  to  hold  the  iron 


HELMET  USED  BY  ARC  WELDERS,  PROVIDED  WITH  WINDOWS  OF  SPECIAL  GLASS 

WHICH  SHIELD  THE  OPERATOR  NOT  ONLY  FROM  INJURIOUS  LIGHT 

RAYS  BUT  ALSO  FROM  THE  HEAT  RAYS 

when  not  in  use — thus  preventing  fires  and  needless  damage  and  inter- 
ruptions. One  young  lady  solders  7000  electric  light  sockets  every  day. 

Anyone  who  has  handled  solder  is  familiar  with  the  fact  that  the 
metal  when  melted  has  practically  the  same  appearance  as  when  cold. 
To  guard  against  burns  from  this  cause  each  electrically  heated  soldering 
pot  is  provided  with  a  pilot  light;  when  the  light  is  burning  it  serves  as  a 
warning  that  the  metal  is  hot. 

The  Company  provides  the  girls  with  a  becoming  cap  to  be  worn 
when  operating  machinery  having  exposed  moving  parts  which  might 
entangle  the  hair  and  cause  an  accident. 

One  of  the  details  in  safety  work  consists  in  fixing  a  plate  of  sheet 
iron  to  the  inside  rim  of  an  exposed  "flying"  pulley,  thus  shielding  the 
spokes  and  making  it  impossible  for  metal  rods  or  clothing  to  be  drawn 
into  the  machinery. 

Safety  and  efficiency  are  sometimes  closely  related:  when  one  man 
with  a  machine  can  drive  thousands  of  nails  by  electricity  every  hour 

54 


and  never  touch  one  of  the  nails  it  is  obviously  a  safe  process  as  well  as 
an  efficient  one. 

The  same  thing  can  be  said  of  electric  motor  trucks  which  go  all 
through  the  buildings,  up  and  down  the  elevators — they  need  no  rails  or 
trolley  wires,  carry  very  heavy  loads,  and  require  but  one  man  to  operate 
them.  When  we  consider  that  47  per  cent  of  the  accidents  which  occurred 
in  1916  were  due  to  handling  of  materials,  it  is  again  evident  that  safety 
and  efficiency  can  be  made  natural  running  mates. 


SAFETY  WORK  AT  THE  ERIE  PLANT.     THE  GRINDING  MACHINES  ARE  FITTED  WITH 

GUARDS  AND  THE  MEN  ARE  IMPRESSED  WITH  THE  NEED   FOR  WEARING 

GOGGLES  TO  SHIELD  THE  EYES  FROM  FLYING  PARTICLES 

Elaborate  automatic  electric  stops  have  been  devised  for  overhead 
cranes,  and  large  sums  spent  for  fire  prevention,  detection,  and  fighting, 
and  both  automatic  and  hand  apparatus  is  supplied  extensively  in  all 
buildings.  An  organized  fire  department  is  maintained  in  each  of  the 
Works. 

The  devices  designed  to  prevent  electric  shock  have  been  so  success- 
ful that  only  one  quarter  of  one  per  cent  of  the  major  accidents  in  Pitts- 
field  in  1916  were  due  to  this  cause. 

FIGHTING  SPECIFIC  ACCIDENTS 

The  study  and  ingenuity  displayed  in  the  safety  bulletins  and  other 
educational  phases  of  safety  work  will  be  illustrated  in  the  following 
pages. 

55 


A  machinist  is  shown  what  kind  of  a  cravat  he  should  not  wear,  and 
a  foundryman  what  kind  of  shoes  he  should  wear.  New  employees  are 
taught  just  how  to  pile  pipes,  castings,  heavy  timbers,  etc.;  special 
methods  are  devised  for  preventing  blindness  by  acids,  metal,  sawdust, 
stone  dust,  and  by  the  weird  "ultra-violet  and  actinic"  light  rays. 
Instruction  is  given  in  how  to  avoid  burns  from  steam,  molten  metal, 
gas,  acids,  and  electricity;  how  to  handle  a  ladder;  how  to  keep  tools  in 
condition;  how  to  choose  a  hammer;  how  to  protect  the  lungs  from  dust; 
how  to  prevent  nail  punctures  of  the  feet — a  wealth  of  detail  which  to 
those  with  an  interest  in  his  fellow  man  reads  like  a  revelation.  Think 


NON-SLIP  DEVICE  FOR  LADDERS.     SHARP  TOOTHED  WHEEL  MAY  BE 
ADJUSTED  WHEN  TEETH  BECOME  WORN 

of  grown  men  being  taught  how  to  lift  so  as  to  avoid  ruptures;  how  to 
drink  water;  how  often  to  bathe  in  warm  water;  how  to  attend  to  a 
scratch  on  his  ringer;  why  he  should  clean  up  rubbish;  how  to  carry  tools 
up  a  ladder;  what  kind  of  sleeves  he  should  have;  and  whether  his  jacket 
should  be  on  the  inside  or  outside  of  his  overalls! 

Surprising  as  these  statements  may  sound  to  the  laymen,  they  are 
nevertheless  some  of  the  problems  with  wThich  the  captains  of  industry 
are  grappling,  and  in  the  solution  of  which  they  are  engaging  able 
executives  whose  entire  time  is  spent  in  teaching  safety  habits. 

THE  MAIN  CAUSES  OF  ACCIDENTS 

The  duties  of  the  safety  committee  are  becoming  more  and  more 
of  an  educational  nature,  as  the  factories  are  now  generously  equipped 

56 


with  mechanical  and  electrical  safeguards.  This  is  clearly  pointed  out 
in  a  report  recently  issued  in  which  an  analysis  is  made  of  the  causes  of 
accidents  at  the  Schenectady  Works  in  1916: 

"A  little  less  than  ten  per  cent  of  the  Schenectady  Works  accidents 
last  year  were  classed  as    'machine'    accidents,  and  only  about  two  and 


DEVICES  FOR  HANDLING  ACID  CARBOYS.    THE  DESTRUCTIVE  ACTION  OF  ACID  MAY 

LEAD  TO  THE  CASE  BECOMING  ROTTEN,  SO  TONGS  ARE  PROVIDED  WHICH 

REACH    UNDER   THE    BOX   AND   WOULD    PREVENT  THE    BOTTLE 

FALLING  EVEN  IF  THE  BOTTOM  CAME  AWAY  ENTIRELY. 

WHEN  SMALL  QUANTITIES  ARE   REQUIRED  THE 

CARBOY    IS    HELD     IN    AN   INCLINATOR 

WHICH   IS   EASILY  TIPPED 

WITHOUT  DANGER 

one  half  per  cent  of  that  number  might  have  been  prevented  by  guards 
or  were  due  to  worn-out  or  defective  apparatus  or  equipment. 

"Forty-seven  per  cent  were  due  to  handling  of  materials;  12  per 
cent  to  the  slipping  of  hand  tools,  such  as  wrenches,  chisels,  hammers, 
etc.;  12^/2  percent  to  stepping  on  chips,  scrap,  nails,  etc.,  or  striking 


SHIELD  FOR  FOUNDRY  LADLE 


some  part  of  the  body  against  some  object;  ten  per  cent  to  machine 
accidents;  about  four  per  cent  to  slipping  and  falling;  one  per  cent  to 
locomotives,  cars,  or  cranes;  one  per  cent  to  electrical  shocks  and  burns; 
and  the  remainder  to  miscellaneous  causes." 


57 


TIME  LOST  IN  1916  WAS  y±  OF  i  PER  CENT 

"Exclusive  of  two  fatal  cases,  the  aggregate  amount  of  time  lost 
on  account  of  accidents  in  1916  at  Schenectady  Works  was  2647  weeks, 
or  50  years  and  47  weeks.  This  amounts  to  only  %  of  I  per  cent  of 
the  total  time  of  the  20,000  employees  at  Schenectady.  This  lost  time 
can  be  classified  according  to  causes  as  follows: 

888  weeks  or  about  17  years  due  to  cuts  and  bruises. 

507  weeks  or  about  9%  years  on  account  of  fractures. 

338  weeks  or  about  6}/2  years  on  account  of  infections. 

287  weeks  or  about  5^  years  due  to  amputations  or  loss  of  eyes. 

179  weeks  or  about  3^  years  due  to  burns  of  various  kinds  such  as  acid,  electric,  emery 
wheel,  flame,  friction,  gas,  metal,  oil,  pitch,  potash,  soda,  solder,  vitriol,  and  hot  water. 

136  weeks  or  about  2%  years  on  account  of  sprains. 

130  weeks  or  about  2%  years  on  account  of  ruptures. 

120  weeks  or  about  ^}^  years  due  to  miscellaneous  eye  injuries,  other  than  loss  of  eyes 
or  sight. 

62  weeks  or  a  little  over  a  year  on  account  of  miscellaneous  causes. 

"During  1916  there  were  1490  accidents  which  resulted  in  loss  of 
time  or  required  attention  other  than  could  be  given  by  the  Emergency 
Hospital.  Those  were  classified  by  causes  as  follows: 

975  accidents,  1553  weeks  or  about  30  years,  accidental. 

255  accidents,  513  weeks  or  about  10  years,  carelessness  on  part  of  injured. 

57  accidents,  147  weeks  or  about  2^  years,  carelessness  on  part  of  other  than  injured 
person. 

118  accidents,  172  weeks  or  about  3  years,  failure  to  have  slight  injuries  treated  promptly, 
resulting  in  blood  poisoning. 

34  accidents,  37  weeks  or  about  three  quarters  of  a  year,  failure  to  wear  safety  goggles. 

13  accidents,  62  weeks  or  a  little  over  a  year,  defective  and  wornout  apparatus  or  might 
have  been  prevented  by  guards. 

38  accidents,  163  weeks  or  about  3  years,  miscellaneous  causes,  for  most  of  which  it  was 
impossible  definitely  to  decide. 

"Based  on  experience  it  is  reasonable  to  expect  that  this  record 
can  be  materially  improved." 

It  is  the  study  of  such  statistics  as  these  that  indicates  to  the  safety 
committee  along  what  lines  they  should  conduct  their  educational 
campaign  so  as  to  bring  the  greatest  return  to  corporation  and  employee 
alike. 

Now  that  the  safety  work  of  the  General  Electric  Company  has 
become  chiefly  educational  in  nature,  in  order  to  outline  the  main 
present  activities  a  digest  is  given  of  some  of  the  bulletins  which  tell 
their  story  every  day  to  61,000  employees.  These  are  classified 
according  to  the  specific  types  of  accidents  which  are  being  combated. 

FALLS  FROM  ELEVATIONS 

The  safety  committee  directed  that  all  old-style  ladders  should  be 
replaced  with  those  having  iron  shoes  or  shoes  of  special  design  to  prevent 
slipping  on  wooden,  iron,  brick,  and  other  flooring.  This  precaution, 
supplemented  by  regular  inspection,  has  materially  curtailed  accidents. 

58 


The  bulletins  continually  remind  the  men  that  they  should  examine  the 
ladders  for  structural  defects,  nails,  or  sharp  projections;  and  further, 
that  the  ground  support  of  the  ladder  should  be  tested  and  all  made 
secure  before  ascending. 

Other  bulletins  show  how  scaffolding  should  be  made,  and  even  the 
details  of  the  sizes  of  planks  and  the  number  of  timbers  have  been 
carefully  worked  out.  The  story  is  emphasized  by  statistics  taken  from 
the  building  trade,  showing  the  number  of  men  killed  and  injured  because 
of  defective  scaffolding. 

THINGS  FALLING  ON  MEN 

Photographs  show  how  to  pile  material  neatly  and  so  as  not  to 
obstruct  passageways.  The  men  are  warned  not  to  pile  these  materials 
too  high. 

IMPROPER  CLOTHING 

Eight  posters  and  eight  illustrations  are  devoted  to  showing  the 
dangers  from  burns  and  nail  punctures  due  to  improper  shoes;  men  are 
warned  not  to  wear  four-in-hand  or  flowing  neckties  about  machines. 
It  is  pointed  out  that  jumper  sleeves  should  be  tight  fitting  at  the  wrist 
and  that  the  jumper  should  be  worn  inside  of  the  overall  bib,  because 
loose  clothing  is  dangerous.  The  men  are  reminded  that  the  wearing  of 
gloves  and  finger  rings  is  dangerous  when  working  about  machines,  and 
that  such  superfluous  things  should  be  removed. 

In  one  poster  a  striking  photograph  shows  how  an  accident  was 
luckily  avoided  by  a  young  man  who  wore  a  dangling  necktie  which 
caught  in  the  rolls  of  his  machine,  drawing  him  closer  and  closer.  For- 
tunately the  machine  was  stopped  in  time  to  prevent  a  serious  injury; 
as  it  was,  his  tie  and  shirt  were  caught  and  torn  off  his  body. 

Celluloid  collars  are  made  the  subject  of  a  separate  poster,  and  a 
case  is  mentioned  where  a  man  narrowly  missed  serious  injury  when  this 
composition  of  guncotton  caught  fire  and  could  not  be  removed. 

INFECTION  OF  SMALL  INJURIES 

The  importance  of  this  subject  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that 
seven  posters  and  two  illustrations  were  devoted  to  explaining  the 
necessity  for  going  to  the  Works'  physician  for  immediate  treatment. 
One  case  in  particular  was  described,  in  which  a  man  tried  to  dig  a  speck 
of  dirt  out  of  another's  eye.  Blood  poisoning  resulted  and  the  eye  had 
to  be  removed.  Newspaper  clippings  were  reproduced  on  the  bulletin, 
recounting  how  citizens  in  different  parts  of  the  country  had  suffered 
from  blood  poisoning  and  lockjaw  as  a  result  of  neglecting  slight  injuries 
such  as  scratches,  pricks  of  the  skin,  nail  punctures,  and  small  cuts. 

59 


BURNS 

In  addition  to  foot  burns  in  the  foundry,  which  were  previously 
discussed,  the  educational  campaign  deals  with  burns  by  steam,  gas, 
gasolene  torches,  acid,  and  electricity.  To  prevent  steam  burns,  large 
red  tags  are  tied  to  steam  valves  which,  if  opened,  would  scald  a  man  at 
work  near  the  outlet  of  the  pipe.  On  the  tag  are  the  words  "  Danger! 
Do  not  open  this  valve  without  permission  of  the  foreman." 

One  poster  shows  the  photograph  of  a  badly  burned  arm,  and  the 
incident  was  told  of  a  man  who  was  told  to  get  an  extension  light  from 
a  work  bench,  but  lighted  a  match  instead.  The  gasolene  tank  he  was 
cleaning  exploded. 


GUARDS  ERECTED  IN  FRONT  OF  ROTATING  MACHINERY 

Regarding  gasolene  torches:  Other  posters  instruct  the  men  to 
examine  torches  for  leaks  before  lighting,  pointing  out  that  they  should 
never  loosen  the  filling  plug  while  any  flame  can  be  seen.  Others  are 
warned,  "If  you  do  not  use  torches,  keep  away  from  them." 

Burns  by  acids  are  the  subject  of  other  posters.  The  handling  of 
acids,  especially  in  large  quantities,  presents  hazards  if  proper  precautions 
are  not  taken.  The  destructive  action  of  the  acid  on  the  wooden  con- 
tainers housing  the  carboys  is  likely  to  cause  a  carboy  of  acid  to  be 
dropped  and  broken,  with  disastrous  results.  Experience  has  taught 
that  the  best  preventive  measure  in  such  work  is  the  provision  of  tongs 
for  handling  the  carboys,  of  such  a  construction  that  they  will  reach 
under  the  boxes,  so  that  if  the  wood  is  entirely  rotted  the  carboy  of  acid 

60 


will  not  drop  to  the  ground.  Where  only  small  quantities  of  acids  are 
being  handled,  the  carboy  is  placed  in  an  inclinator  which  permits  it 
to  be  tipped  .without  danger  of  spilling  the  acid.  Rubber  gloves  and 
rubber-mounted  goggles  are  provided  for  employees  handling  acid 
where  there  is  a  chance  of  the  acid  spattering  on  the  hands  or  in  the  eyes. 

In  general,  the  precautions  taken  to  guard  against  electrical  hazards 
are  the  placing  of  all  live  parts  in  such  positions  that  no  employee  can 
inadvertently  come  into  contact  with  them,  the  provision  of  grounded 
metal  guards,  and  ample  insulation  wherever  necessary. 

The  most  practical  way  of  guarding  against  electrical  burns  is  to 
keep  all  unauthorized  people  away  from  every  danger  zone.  Warning 
signs  are  therefore  placed  near  any  locality  where  dangerous  voltages 
exist,  and  all  passages,  etc.,  leading  to  such  places  are  marked  with 
danger  signs. 

BLINDNESS 

Blindness  due  to  flying  particles  of  metal,  wood,  emery,  etc.,  can  be 
almost  eliminated  by  the  use  of  goggles.  These  are  furnished  by  the 
Company  wherever  needed;  as  are  also  gloves,  helmets,  leggings,  etc. 
Nevertheless  it  requires  considerable  advertising  sometimes  to  persuade 
a  man  to  use  them.  Some  posters  show  photographs  and  give  the  names 
of  men  whose  eyes  have  been  saved  by  goggles,  as  well  as  other  photo- 
graphs and  names  of  men  who  have  become  partially  or  totally  blind 
because  of  the  neglect  of  this  simple  precaution.  As  soon  as  goggles 
become  broken  from  any  cause  whatsoever  the  Company  replaces  them 
with  a  new  pair  without  expense. 

Goggles  of  scientifically  colored  glass,  which  make  it  impossible  for 
ultra-violet  and  actinic  rays  emanating  from  electric  or  oxy-acetylene 
work  to  injure  the  optic  nerve,  are  especially  valuable.  In  some  cases 
complete  helmets  are  provided  for  this  purpose. 

NAIL  INJURIES 

Four  posters  and  two  illustrations  tell  strikingly  the  danger  of 
stepping  on  protruding  nails.  The  men  are  urged  to  turn  down  the 
nails  and  prevent  lockjaw. 

RUPTURE 

How  to  lift  heavy  weights  is  shown  in  two  posters  and  two  illus- 
trations. Men  are  cautioned  not  to  try  muscular  feats  beyond  their 
strength,  but  to  await  the  service  of  the  electric  cranes  and  hoists  when 
very  heavy  objects  must  be  moved.  They  are  also  warned  not  to  wear 
tight  belts,  and  considerable  discussion  is  given  to  personal  hygiene  and 
exercises  that  have  a  tendency  to  prevent  hernia. 

61 


ACCIDENTS  FROM  MACHINERY  AND  TOOLS 

Fourteen  posters  and  nine  illustrations  point  out  the  necessity  for 
extreme  care  in  handling  machine  tools  and  choosing  hand  tools.  Repair- 
ing or  oiling  machines  and  adjusting  work  while  machines  are  in  motion, 
are  shown  to  be  dangerous.  Actual  incidents  are  mentioned,  and  the  loss 
in  wages  of  men  who  have  been  injured  through  neglect  of  these  rules  is 
shown.  Men  are  warned  not  to  start  a  machine  when  it  is  tagged  "Out 
of  order — do  not  start." 

They  are  urged  to  keep  the  protecting  guards  in  place  and  to 
immediately  report  when  damages  are  repaired.  Statistics  are  given  of 
the  number  of  men  in  one  state  who  were  injured  while  cleaning  their 
machines  while  in  motion. 

Other  posters  remind  the  men  that  they  should  never  sling  a  hammer 
or  sledge  which  has  a  loose  handle.  Likewise,  a  photograph  is  shown  on 
many  hundreds  of  bulletin  boards  illustrating  how  a  man  should  stand 
when  using  a  sledge  so  as  to  avoid  injuring  his  companion  who  holds 
the  bar  or  cold  chisel. 

It  is  pointed  out  that  when  striking  case-hardened  material,  such 
as  drills,  reamers,  cutting  tools,  etc.,  only  lead  or  copper  hammers 
should  be  used  so  as  to  prevent  chipping  of  the  hardened  metal  and 
injury  of  fellow  workmen. 

TRIPPING  OVER  RUBBISH  AND  JUNK 

Two  posters  and  two  illustrations  emphasize  the  danger  of  obstruct- 
ing floors  and  passageways  with  refuse,  waste  material,  and  junk.  A 
disorderly  workshop  contributes  to  accidents. 

UNSANITARY  HABITS 

A  fairly  complete  course  in  personal  hygiene  is  contained  in  a  series 
of  posters.  These  treat  of  headache,  eyestrain,  hunger,  bad  ventilation, 
etc.,  and  urge  plenty  of  sleep,  good  care  of  the  teeth,  adequate  bathing, 
plenty  of  fresh  air,  and  even  cleanliness  of  the  hands.  Spitting  on  the 
floor  is  forbidden,  and  even  such  details  as  how  to  drink  out  of  the 
fountain  come  in  for  their  share  in  the  educational  campaign. 

ALCOHOL 

One  poster  shows  the  extravagance  of  the  drinker  and,  by  suggesting 
a  plan  by  which  a  married  man  shall  appoint  his  wife  as  his  exclusive 
bar  tender,  illustrates  how  she  could  make  money  which  would  go  far 
toward  paying  the  household  expenses. 

62 


CARELESS  MEN 

Fifty-one  posters  and  18  illustrations  are  directed  against 
the  chance-taker  and  the  practical  joker  who  deals  in  "horse  play." 
Examples  are  shown  where  men  have  lost  their  lives,  or  have  caused 
the  death  of  another  because  of  foolish  scuffling. 

The  doctrine  of  carefulness  is  taught  in  every  possible  way,  whether 
it  relates  to  going  up  and  down  a  ladder  carelessly,  or  throwing  shovels, 
brooms,  and  tools  where  others  might  be  damaged  by  them. 

Arguments  against  hurry  and  extravagance  and  in  favor  of  delibera- 
tion and  thrift  show  the  range  of  the  educational  campaign. 

SAFETY  EXTENSION 

The  Company  has  extended  the  idea  of  safety  to  the  benefit  of  the 
users  of  the  electrical  apparatus  manufactured  by  the  Company,  as  well 
as  that  of  the  employees  of  the  Company  in  its  factories.  Safety  switch- 
boards, safety  switches,  safety  controllers,  "foolproof"  motors,  trans- 
formers, etc.,  have  been  devised,  and  while  definite  statistics  are  not 
available  it  is  quite  reasonable  to  assume  that  accidents  from  electric 
shock  are  being  minimized  in  public  service  corporations,  and  among 
the  general  public  who  operate  electrical  devices  in  the  home. 


CHAPTER  V 
MEDICAL  WORK  AND  HOSPITALS 

No  one  questions  the  wisdom  of  the  medical  examination  when 
enlisting  for  military  duty;  and  just  so  when  enrolling  with  the  armies 
of  industry — the  physical  examination  is  becoming  a  matter  of  course. 
You,  as  an  army  recruit,  do  not  feel  insulted  when  Uncle  Sam  examines 
your  teeth,  and  thumps  your  chest,  and  tests  your  vision;  you  do  not  feel 
that  the  army  physician's  services  are  to  be  classed  as  charity  or  phi- 
lanthropy— you  know  it  is  efficiency,  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest 
number,  that  dictates  the  policy  of  the  physical  examination.  Therefore, 
to  maintain  the  same  high  standard  in  the  industrial  army,  every  new 
employee  must  be  examined — even  consulting  engineers.  This  has 
been  the  procedure  in  the  General  Electric  Company's  organization 
since  1914 — without  exception  or  favoritism. 

It  is  for  this  good  reason  that  we,  in  the  great  industrials  of  today, 
welcome  the  plan  and  take  a  keen  interest  in  the  details  of  the  main- 
tenance of  "Health  en  masse" — which  is  the  big  idea  back  of  both 
armies  and  corporations. 

It  would  be  a  great  source  of  comfort  to  feel  that  there  is  no  taint 
of  tuberculosis  or  infectious  disease  among  one's  business  associates. 
And  from  a  more  altruistic  point  of  view  many  of  our  less  fortunate 
brothers  have  had  the  way  pointed  out  to  them  for  the  complete  recovery 
of  their  health — due  to  an  expert's  diagnosis  at  the  time  of  the  medical 
examination. 

PHYSICAL  EXAMINATION 

In  the  year  1916,  there  were  13,716  examinations  made  at  the  offices 
and  Works  in  Schenectady.  Many  men  and  women  have  practically 
had  their  eyesight  saved  because  they  have  taken  the  advice  of  the 
Company's  physician  and  taken  steps  to  correct  the  dangerous  drift. 
A  similar  situation  has  arisen  in  regard  to  men  either  ruptured  or  on  the 
verge. 

LIFE  EXTENSION 

In  this  connection,  Mr.  A.  L.  Rohrer,  the  Supervisor  of  Medical 
Examinations,  recently  remarked: 

"The  day  of  preventive  measures  and  medicines  has  dawned,  and  everyone  is  now 
thinking  how  disease  can  be  prevented  instead  of  waiting  until  the  disease  has  developed. 
Our  medical  examinations  have  revealed  the  beginnings  of  troubles  unknown  to  the  person 
examined;  attention  was  called  to  them  and  advice  given.  In  many  cases  the  progress  of  the 
disease  was  checked.  Everyone  who  has  some  reason  to  suspect  that  there  is  anything  wrong, 
should  get  medical  advice  and  get  it  early.  The  medical  men  who  have  studied  the  records 
agree  that  several  years  will  be  added  to  the  average  span  of  life  by  periodic  medical  exam- 
inations." 

64 


We  are  all  appreciating  more  every  year  that  the  better  suited  we 
are  to  our  work  the  more  suited  we  will  be  with  our  work.  Now  that  these 
examinations  have  been  started,  we  see  that  their  object  is  not  to  keep 
us  out  of  employment  but  to  direct  us  away  from  that  kind  of  employ- 
ment which  may  damage  our  health. 

If  a  man  had  weak  eyesight,  the  modern  industrial  company  would 
never  give  him  work  near  rapidly  moving  machinery;  or,  if  his  lungs 
were  weak,  he  would  not  be  permitted  to  do  any  work  of  a  dusty  nature 
which  would  soon  aggravate  the  condition  of  his  lungs. 

In  speaking  of  this  dusty  work,  the  fact  should  not  pass  unnoticed 
that  there  are  periodical  examinations  of  all  those  who  are  working  in 
dusty  rooms.  Likewise  anyone  who  has  the  appearance  of  lung  trouble, 
or  other  disease,  which  may  be  aggravated  by  his  occupation,  is  given  a 
special  additional  examination  in  order  to  detect  and  therefore  prevent 
any  tendency  toward  disease.  If  such  is  discovered,  necessary  precautions 
to  safeguard  his  health  are  advised,  or  the  nature  of  his  work  is  changed. 
Think  of  the  sufferings  of  the  past,  when  no  such  provisions  were  made! 
The  expression,  "the  scrap  pile  of  humanity,"  formerly  applied  to  the 
workers  in  large  industrial  plants,  is  no  longer  applicable. 

RUNNING  THE  GAUNTLET 

In  fact,  by  the  time  we  have  got  fully  into  the  swing  of  lije  in  a 
large  manufacturing  plant,  we  realize  that  unwittingly  we  have  "run 
the  gauntlet" — mentally,  physically,  morally,  and  industrially.  This 
being  the  case,  and  all  having  passed  the  various  tests  of  fitness,  we  find 
that  our  fellow  workers  are  anything  but  candidates  for  the  scrap  pile. 
The  reverse  is  the  case,  and  in  the  sense  that  each  one  of  us  has  been 
selected  for  fitness,  it  can  easily  be  seen  that  the  organization  amounts 
to  a  picked  crew. 

It  is  of  interest  to  note  that  the  rejections  vary  from  3}^  to  6  per 
cent,  the  greater  number  being  due  to  hernia  and  defective  eyesight. 
Many  cases  of  arrested  development  of  the  eye  are  noticed,  and  it  is 
remarkable  that  so  many  applicants  have  not  discovered  prior  to  these 
examinations  that  they  were  practically  blind  in  one  eye.  Frequently 
the  sight  can  be  immediately  improved  by  proper  glasses,  this  being 
particularly  true  in  cases  of  short-sightedness.  Several  applicants  have 
confessed  that  when  standing  on  the  curb  they  couldn't  see  a  trolley 
car  pass,  and  the  simple  expedient  of  providing  proper  glasses  has 
surely  saved  many  lives  from  street  accidents. 

All  employees  who  are  absent  for  two  months  or  longer  come  back 
as  new  employees  and  have  to  pass  a  medical  examination  before  re- 
employment. 

65 


VITAL  STATISTICS 

There  is  another  very  important  provision  in  which  preventive 
measures  are  supplied  for  maintaining  health  en  masse — i.e.,  the  hospital 
— the  ally  of  hygiene  and  enemy  of  suffering.  Splendid  records  have  been 


Fig.  30.    THE  SCHENECTADY  HOSPITAL 


Fig.  31.    THE  MEN'S  WARD  OF  THE  EMERGENCY  HOSPITAL  AT  THE  ERIE  WORKS 

kept  ever  since  the  establishment  of  the  hospitals.  The  history  of  the 
achievements  of  the  medical  men  of  this  staff  is  written  in  the  record, 
and  some  very  striking  facts  stand  out  from  among  what  some  people 
might  call  plain  statistics. 

66 


MOST  ACCIDENTS  IN  SUMMER 

Accidents  unfortunately  occur  everywhere,  on  the  street,  in  the 
home,  and  in  the  factory.  Their  number,  by  the  laws  of  chance,  is  likely 
to  be  in  proportion  to  the  population  of  a  town  or  to  the  number  of 


Figs.  32  and  33.    THE  PITTSFIELD  WORKS  HOSPITAL 

Hospital  facilities  are  provided  at  all  of  the  numerous  Works  of  the  General  Electric  Company.  Some  of  thest 
hospitals  are  quite  large,  the  number  of  employees  in  some  of  the  plants  equaling  the  population  of  a  good  sized  city. 

In  the  case  of  serious  accidents,  first  treatment  is  given  in  the  emergency  hospital  before  the  employee  is  sent 
home  or  to  the  hospital,  and  daily  treatment  or  dressing  is  given  as  necessary.  Employees  are  encouraged  to 
report  even  the  smallest  injury,  as  this  policy  often  prevents  an  insignificant  scratch  from  developing  into  a 
serious  case. 


employees  in  a  factory.  So  as  our  organization  grew  and  the  number 
of  employees  increased  from  hundreds  to  thousands,  facilities  for  taking 
care  of  them  became  necessary.  It  has  been  the  spirit  of  the  Company 
to  keep  these  facilities  well  abreast  of  the  needs,  and  today  our  hospital 


Fig.  34.    MEN'S  WAITING  ROOM  AND  DRESSING  BOOTHS  AT  SCHENECTADY 


Fig.  35.    AN  APPLICANT  TAKING  THE  FIRST  TEST  FOR  EYESIGHT  IN  THE  EXAMINATION 
ROOM.     WOMEN  APPLICANTS  ARE  EXAMINED  BY  A  WOMAN  PHYSICIAN 

facilities  for  emergency  cases  are  larger  than  those  of  many  towns,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  our  industrial  army  is  larger  than  the  population 
of  many  towns.  The  presence  of  emergency  hospitals  in  a  factory  does 
not  denote  that  the  work  is  hazardous;  indeed,  the  majority  of  accidents 

68 


can  be  traced  to  carelessness,  and  no  small  part  of  the  work  in  connection 
with  factory  hospitals  is  educational  work — trying  to  teach  the  vital 
lesson  of  Safety  First.  Such  educational  work  is  made  more  difficult  by 
the  fact  that  many  foreigners  are  employed  who  cannot  speak  English. 


Fig.  36.     DOCTOR'S  OFFICE  WHERE  THESE  EXAMINATIONS  ARE  MADE 


Fig.  37.    WOMEN'S  MEDICAL  ROOM  ADJOINING  THE  DOCTOR'S  OFFICE,  WHERE 
MINOR  AILMENTS  AND  INJURIES  ARE  TREATED 

All  applicants  for  employment  must  pass  a  medical  examination,  which  frequently  results  in  the  discovery 
and  correction  of  unsuspected  defective  eyesight  and  other  ailments. 

All  of  us  are  human  and  there  is  one  characteristic  which  is  particu- 
larly noticeable  in  us  all,  namely,  our  willingness  to  assume  risks  if  we 

69 


can  save  a  little  time.  This  trait  is  in  daily  evidence  at  all  our  busy  street 
corners  where  pedestrians  disregard  the  warnings  and  rules  of  traffic 
officers,  and  persist  in  crossing  the  street  or  railway  tracks  at  unsafe 


Fig.  38.     AMBULANCE  AT  THE  PITTSFIELD  WORKS 


Fig.  39.    CLOSED  AUTOMOBILES  ARE  USED  FOR  TAKING  HOME  SICK  OR  INJURED 

EMPLOYEES,  WHO  DO  NOT  REQUIRE  THE  SERVICE  OF  AN  AMBULANCE. 

THIS  ILLUSTRATION  SHOWS  A  CAR  USED  FOR  THIS  PURPOSE 

AT  THE  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

moments,  being  willing  to  risk  injury  for  the  saving  of  a  fraction  of  a 
minute.  In  the  same  way  it  has  been  found  that  workmen  in  the  shops 
will  frequently  assume  risks  in  order  to  save  a  second  or  two;  and  there- 

70 


fore  we  shall  always  have  accidents,  and  the  larger  the  number  of  em- 
ployees the  larger  the  number  of  accidents. 

One  of  the  strange  facts  developed  from  a  study  of  these  records  is: 

Nearly  64  per  cent  of  the  major  accidents  of  the  year  take  place  in 
the  six  warm  months,  May  to  October  inclusive. 

Medical  men  and  executives  and  statisticians  are  all  baffled  by  this 
mystery.  Not  one  has  been  able  to  explain  satisfactorily  why  64  per  cent 
of  the  accidents  occur  in  warm  weather  and  only  36  per  cent  occur  in 
cold  weather,  year  after  year. 

There  is  still  another  mystery: 

Why  do  most  of  the  major  accidents  take  place  either  early  in  the 
morning  or  late  in  the  afternoon?  No  one  knows. 


Fig.  40.     CLASS  FOR  FIRST  AID  INSTRUCTION  AT  THE  PITTSFIELD  WORKS 
Everything  possible  is  done  for  the  comfort  of  the  sick  and  injured  at  the  "various  Works. 

These  two  curious  facts  are  undeniably  true — they  are  medical 
history — and  right  here  in  these  two  unexplained  facts  lie  some  of  the 
problems  on  which  high-type  executives,  engineers,  and  surgeons  are 
devoting  serious  thought.  They  will  clear  up  these  mysteries  in  time, 
and  their  solution  will  probably  result  in  some  special  instructions  for  us 
to  follow  at  the  beginning  and  close  of  the  day;  and  we  shall  be  glad  to 
do  so,  for  all  of  us  are  anxious  to  avoid  even  a  scratch. 

WHAT  IS  AN  "ACCIDENT"? 

An  accident  is  an  accident  even  if  it  is  only  a  scratch.  This  may 
seem  a  cranky  idea,  but  it  is  based  on  long  study,  experience,  and  obser- 
vation. It  is  the  positive  conclusion  of  the  physicians  and  surgeons 


that  a  wound,  no  matter  how  trifling — even  if  only  a  scratch — should  be 
given  a  proper  dressing  immediately  after  the  accident  occurs;  for  it 
has  been  found  that  infection  of  a  slight  wound  in  many  cases  gives 
more  pain  and  is  more  dangerous  than  the  fracture  of  a  bone. 

In  1916,  there  were  11,427  accidents  at  the  Schenectady  Works, 
but  only  36  were  serious  enough  to  be  classed  as  bed  cases,  and  only 
ii  were  serious  enough  to  require  an  ambulance  call.  Out  of  prac- 
tically 21,000  men  working  with  steam  and  electricity,  operating 
ponderous  machinery  weighing  hundreds  of  tons,  only  two  men  died  as 
the  result  of  accidents,  including  electric  shock,  scalding  from  steam, 
fires,  and  railroad  accidents;  for  it  should  be  understood  that  the  great 
factory  of  today  has  indoor  and  outdoor  railways  and  streets  the  same 


Fig.  41.     REST  ROOM  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  DISTRICT  OFFICE 

as  cities— even  with  motor  busses  and  trolleys.  There  are  few  cities  in 
which  the  accidental  death  statistics  are  so  low.  Automobiles  alone 
killed  140  people  in  Philadelphia  in  1916. 

DIMINISHING  FATALITIES 

Remarkably  complete  records  are  kept  showing  the  history  of  every 
accident  for  the  full  decade,  1906  to  1916  inclusive.  In  the  first  half 
of  the  last  decade,  there  were  12  fatal  accidents  at  the  Schenectady 
Works,  an  average  of  2.4  per  year. 

In  the  last  half  of  the  past  decade,  the  fatalities  decreased  to  an 
average  of  only  two  per  year — this  for  the  years  1912  to  1916  inclusive. 
Another  bit  of  history  which  makes  the  above  achievement  all  the  more 
remarkable  is  the  fact  that  in  the  last  five  years  there  were  25  per  cent 
more  employees  in  Schenectady  than  in  the  first  half  of  the  decade.  In 

72 


other  words,  between  1907  and  1911,  one  man  out  of  6100  met  with  a 
fatal  accident,  while  in  the  past  five  years  only  one  in  every  9000  was 
so  unfortunate.  In  1916  it  was  only  one  man  in  10,100. 


Fig.  42.    THE  WOMEN'S  REST  ROOM  OF  THE  CHICAGO  DISTRICT  OFFICE 


Fig.  43.    THE  REST  ROOM  AT  THE  PHILADELPHIA  OFFICE.     IN  THIS  CASE  THE  REST 
ROOM   IS  ON  THE  TOP  OF  THE  BUILDING  IN  WHICH  THE  OFFICE  IS  LOCATED, 
AND  THE  ROOF  HAS  BEEN  MADE  INTO  A  PROMENADE  WHERE  THE 
GIRLS  CAN  TAKE  FRESH  AIR  AND  EXERCISE 

Rest  rooms  for  women  employees  are  provided  at  most  of  the  district  and  local  offices,  as  well  as  at  the  various 
Works  of  the  Company.  In  these  rooms  provision  is  frequently  made  for  preparing  simple  lunches  which  avoids 
the  necessity  of  going  out  in  bad  weather. 

Thus  the  fatal  accidents  at  the  Schenectady  Works  for  the  last  ten 
years  have  averaged  0.136  per  thousand.    To  fully  grasp  the  magnitude 

73 


of  this  notable  record,  we  reproduce  the  following  table  from  page  6  of 
the  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Labor's  Bulletin  No.  157  on  "Industrial  Accident 
Statistics"  dated  March,  1915: 

TABLE  I 

ESTIMATE  OF  FATAL  INDUSTRIAL  ACCIDENTS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 
IN  1913,  BY  INDUSTRY  GROUPS 


Industry  Group 

No.  of 
Employees 

Fatal 
Industrial 
Accidents 

Rkte  Per 

IOOO 

Males 
Metal  mining 

I7O,OCXD 

680 

J..OO 

Coal  mining  

75O,OOO 

2,625 

3.50 

Fisheries                                                                    

I5O,OOO 

45O 

3-OO 

Navigation  
Railroad  employees  
Electricians  (light  and  power)  
Navy  and  marine  corps 

150,000 
1,750,000 

68,000 
62,000 

450 

4,200 

153 

115 

3.00 
2.40 
2.25 
.85 

Quarrying 

1  50,000 

•7° 

Lumber  Industry  
Soldiers,  United  States  Army  

531,000 
73,000 

797 
109 

•50 
•49 

Building  and  construction  

1,500,000 

1,875 

Draymen,  teamsters,  etc  

686,000 

686 

.00 

Steet  railway  employees 

320,000 

^20 

.00 

\Vatchmen,  policemen,  firemen 

200,000 

IsO 

•75 

Telephone  and  telegraph  (including  linemen)  
Agricultural    pursuits,    (including    forestry    and    animal 
husbandry)  
Manufacturing  (general)  
All  other  occupied  males  

245,000 

1  2,000,000 
7,277,000 
4,678,000 

123 

4,200 
1,819 

3ooS 

•50 

•35 
•25 
•75 

All  occupied  males  

3O,76o,OOO 

22,515 

•73 

All  occupied  females  

7-200,000 

540 

•075 

GENERAL  ELECTRIC  COMPANY,  SCHENECTADY 
WORKS  IN  1916  
GENERAL  ELECTRIC  COMPANY,  SCHENECTADY 
WORKS  AVERAGE  FOR  TEN  YEARS  

20,985 

2 

.099 
.136 

Other  interesting  facts  will  be  seen  by  studying  the  following  figures; 
and  the  amount  of  effort  and  attention  which  they  represent  may  be 
gathered  from  the  fact  that  in  the  year  of  1916  alone  the  hospital  made 
55,362  dressings  and  treatments.  The  average  worker  who  meets  with 
an  accident  receives  three  additional  dressings. 


Year 

INO.  or  Employees 
on  Schenectady 
Payroll 

Total  Accidents 
(Including  Scratches) 

Per  Cent 

1907 

15.544 

1,832 

1.18 

1908 

11,359 

1,229 

1.  08 

1909 

13,361 

1,706 

1.27 

I9IO 

16,462 

2,729 

1.66 

I9II 

16,107 

3,075 

1.91 

1912 

17,487 

4,174 

2-39 

1913 

19.977 

5,670 

2.84 

1914 

16,823 

4,26l 

2-54 

1915 

15,347 

5,476 

3-69 

1916 

20,985 

11,427* 

5-69* 

*  In  1916  all  injuries,  including  even  slight  scratches,  were  reported,  whereas  the  record 
of  previous  years  includes  only  the  more  serious  accidents. 


74 


EYE  CASES 

Among  the  1916  accidents,  5,575  pertained  to  the  eye — cinders, 
sawdust,  chips,  emery,  dust,  etc.  It  is  to  the  credit  of  the  hospital  that 
the  first  treatments  of  these  were  made  so  successfully  that  only  171  of 
them  were  referred  to  an  eye  specialist  in  the  city;  one  man  lost  the  sight 
of  one  eye,  and  not  a  single  man  became  blind.  The  Company  has  made 
it  a  practice  in  the  past  to  pay  the  doctor's  bill  of  all  workers  sent  from 
the  hospital  to  the  city  specialist. 

WORKS  HOSPITALS 

It  would  be  tedious  to  describe  in  detail  all  the  hospitals  in  our 
many  factories,  but  a  brief  review  of  hospital  work  at  the  Schenectady 
Works  will  give  an  idea  of  this  necessary  adjunct  to  modern  manu- 
facturing. 

This  work  began  with  the  employment  of  a  medical  student  whose 
services  were  sought  for  first  aid  before  sending  the  patient  to  the  city 
hospital.  Later  it  became  essential  to  have  some  one  in  each  department 
who  understood  first  aid  treatment,  and  a  series  of  talks  on  "first  aid," 
by  a  leading  surgeon,  with  demonstrations  on  actual  dressings,  was 
given  to  a  class  made  up  of  the  foremen,  assistant  foremen,  and  shop 
clerks  of  each  department. 

In  1899  first  aid  chests  containing  the  necessary  materials  were 
prepared  and  placed  in  each  department  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Works  physician  collaborating  with  well-known  surgeons.  This  outfit 
has  been  quite  extensively  adopted  in  manufacturing  plants. 

It  was  soon  found  that  the  treatment  of  accidents  in  the  shops 
caused  confusion  and  did  not  result  in  systematic  treatment,  so  it  was 
decided  to  establish  a  real  emergency  hospital,  where  a  trained  hospital 
steward  could  administer  treatment  and  be  responsible  for  the  dressing 
of  wounds  under  the  best  conditions.  The  hospital  staff  includes  a  steward 
and  four  assistants. 

Careful  records  are  kept  of  each  case.  The  majority  of  treatments 
are  of  a  very  minor  nature,  and  any  increase  in  the  number  of  treatments 
bears  testimony  to  a  more  rigid  enforcement  of  the  regulations  on  the 
part  of  the  organizations  and  a  better  spirit  of  co-operation  on  the  part 
of  the  employees  in  conforming  to  the  general  wish  that  the  merest 
scratch  shall  receive  proper  treatment  to  avoid  infection. 

In  the  hospital  work,  emphasis  has  been  placed  upon  the  fact  that 
efficiency  in  surgery  depends  upon  the  individual  who  applies  the  first 
dressing,  and  the  stewards  thoroughly  understand  that  the  aim  of 
"first  aid"  is  to  apply  an  antiseptic  dressing  that  will  prevent  infection 
of  the  wound. 

75 


No  wounds  are  now  dressed  in  the  shops;  all  injured  are  immediately 
sent  to  the  hospital,  the  major  cases  being  transported  on  stretchers 
conveniently  located  in  each  department.  All  major  eye  cases  are 
treated  by  one  of  the  eye  specialists  of  the  city,  the  injured  being  con- 
veyed by  automobile. 


Fig.  44.    MEDICAL  ROOM  AT  THE  SCHENECTADY  WORKS.     THIS  IS  UNDER  THE  CARE 
OF  A  TRAINED  NURSE  AND  COMMUNICATES  WITH  THE  REST  ROOM 


Fig.  45.    WHERE   SHORT  PERIODS  OF  REST  MAY  BE  TAKEN.    THESE  ROOMS  ARE 
UNDER  THE  CHARGE  OF  A  MATRON  WHO  LOOKS  AFTER  THE 
WELFARE  OF  THOSE  USING  THE  ROOMS 

76 


WOMEN  AND  GIRLS 

A  woman  physician  devotes  her  entire  time  to  the  care  of  the  women 
and  girl  employees.  Her  office  is  fitted  with  booths  for  medical  examina- 
tion, and  connects  with  the  women's  rest  room  which  is  equipped  with 
cots,  where  the  girls  from  the  factory  can  be  made  comfortable.  All 
women  or  girls  who  are  too  ill  to  work  are  sent  by  the  foreman  to  this 
office  by  automobile.  Many  of  them  after  an  hour  or  two  in  the  rest 
room  feel  able  to  return  to  their  work.  Those  who  are  too  ill  to  work 
are  sent  home  by  automobile,  and  those  who  remain  in  the  rest  room 
are  given  such  simple  treatment  as  will  give  them  relief. 


Fig.  46.     WOMEN'S  EMERGENCY  HOSPITAL  AT  THE  PITTSFIELD  WORKS 

In  addition  to  the  medical  services  provided  at  all  the  Works,  rest  rooms  for  women  are  maintained  throughout 
the  organization,  where  simple  remedies  may  be  obtained  in  case  of  slight  indisposition. 

In  one  month,  155  girls  came  to  this  office  for  treatment,  and  127 
of  them  returned  to  work  the  same  day.  In  addition  to  the  treatments 
given,  the  doctor  suggests  preventive  measures,  such  as  diet,  exercise, 
etc.  At  intervals,  during  the  noon  hour,  the  woman  physician  gives 
talks  to  the  girls  in  the  various  departmental  rest  rooms  in  the  shops. 

GIRLS'  REST  ROOMS 

All  of  the  factories  have  provided  adequate  facilities  in  this  regard. 

There  are  36  rest  rooms  for  girls  at  the  Schenectady  Works, 
classified  as  follows: 

Twenty-two  secondary  rest  rooms,  seven  in  charge  of  matrons, 
four  in  charge  of  doctors,  one  in  charge  of  a  nurse,  and  one  in  the  main 
office  building. 

77 


Simple  treatments  are  afforded  which  permit  most  of  the  girls  to 
return  to  work  after  one  or  two  hours  of  rest.  Books  are  provided,  as 
well  as  individual  instruction,  teaching  how  best  to  preserve  their  health. 
Those  few  who  are  not  able  to  go  back  to  work  are  taken  to  their  homes 
in  the  Company's  automobiles. 

RED  CROSS  CLASSES 

Seven  enthusiastic  classes  have  been  formed  to  teach  the  girls 
first  aid;  these  are  called  "Schools  for  Red  Cross  Nurses."  The  girls 
attend  these  classes  on  their  own  time. 

NO  STOOLS 

Six  or  seven  years  ago  all  the  girl  workers  sat  on  stools  while  they 
were  working,  but  now  all  have  chairs  with  backs. 

Cold  statistics  cannot  show  the  amount  of  suffering  and  disease 
which  are  prevented  by  medical  examinations  when  applying  for  work, 
educational  work  in  personal  hygiene,  and  other  preventive  measures. 

It  should  be  noted  that  most  of  the  work  described  above  was 
undertaken  and  well  under  way  before  the  New  York  State  Workmen's 
Compensation  Act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature. 


CHAPTER  VI 
FIRE  PROTECTION 

The  cost  of  a  man's  life  insurance  is  a  measure  of  his  security  from 
early  death;  the  cost  of  a  manufacturing  plant's  fire  insurance  is  a 
measure  of  the  plant's  security  from  fire. 

It  is  a  very  rare  occurrence  for  the  cost  of  a  man's  life  insurance  to 
grow  less;  for  even  though  he  improves  his  health  (his  resistance  to 
disease)  he  nevertheless  grows  older;  but  the  manufacturing  plant  can 
grow  older  and  at  the  same  time  reduce  its  fire  insurance  rate  by  improv- 
ing its  resistance  to  fire. 

This  has  been  proved  to  be  true  to  a  surprising  degree  by  the 
experience  of  the  General  Electric  Company  in  its  various  plants. 
At  the  Schenectady  Works,  for  example,  the  cost  of  each  $100  fire 
insurance  in  1893  was  75  cents  as  compared  with  an  average  of  less  than 
10  cents  for  the  last  ten  years.  In  this  chapter  we  will  describe  the 
provisions  that  were  made  which  have  brought  about  this  remarkable 
reduction  in  insurance  cost,  and  the  corresponding  decrease  in  the  fire 
hazard. 

These    improved    conditions    have    benefited    the    Company,    the 
employees,  and  the  public  in  the  following  respects: 
The  Company: 

Maximum  safety  from  loss  of  property. 
Maximum  safety  from  loss  of  profits. 
The  Employees: 

Maximum  safety  from  loss  of  life. 
Maximum  safety  from  loss  of  wages. 
The  Public: 

Maximum   assurance  of  prompt  deliveries,   due  to   minimum 

interruptions. 
Maximum   safety  from   fire   as  the   result  of  using  electrical 

devices. 

The  actual  fire  losses  year  by  year  for  the  past  ten  years  in  the 
Schenectady  Works  are  given  in  the  table. 

In  the  first  eight  months  of  1917  there  were  50  fires  in  the  Schenec- 
tady Works  with  a  total  property  loss  of  $588.  Since  this  represents  an 
average  loss  of  approximately  $11  per  fire,  it  can  readily  be  seen  that: 
first,  the  fire  department  is  operated  efficiently;  and  second,  the  em- 
ployee's loss  in  wages  is  trifling. 

79 


Year 

No.  of  Fires 

Fire  Loss 

Average  Loss 
per  Fire 

1907 
1908 
1909 

43 
36 

19 

$1,904 
462 

284 

$24.00 
I2.OO 
14.00 

1910 
1911 

17 

53 

76 
1,836 

4.00 
34.00 

1912 

73 

3,435 

47.00 

1913 
1914 

1915 
1916 

Total  for  10  years 

57 
62 
62 
66 

3,366 
827      * 
817 
7,021 

59.00 
13.00 
13.00 
IO6.OO 

$39.00 

488 

$19,173 

MUTUAL  INSURANCE  CONTRACT 

For  over  20  years  the  General  Electric  Company  has  placed  its 
insurance  with  a  mutual  fire  insurance  company.  The  business  is  handled 
by  this  company  at  cost,  i.e.,  no  profits  and  no  agents.  The  cost  includes 
expenses  of  management,  service,  inspections,  and  losses. 

This  insurance  contract  requires  that  all  the  member  manufacturing 
companies  have  their  properties  built  according  to  certain  specified 
standards  of  fireproof  or  slow-burning  mill  construction,  and  equipped 
with  standard  sprinkler  systems,  individual  water  supply  plants,  etc. 
In  all  the  plants  of  the  General  Electric  Company  there  are  installed 
about  250,000  automatic  sprinkler  heads  which  adequately  cover  approxi- 
mately 15,500,000  square  feet  of  floor  space. 

Mr.  M.  F.  Westover,  Secretary  of  the  General  Electric  Company, 
in  charge  of  matters  relating  to  fire  insurance,  stated  recently  that  the 
architectural  and  engineering  advice  received  from  the  insurance  com- 
pany in  connection  with  new  building  construction  was  alone  worth 
the  money  paid  out  in  premiums. 

BUILDING  CONSTRUCTION 

Wherever  possible  the  factory  buildings  are  subdivided  into  sections 

by  fireproof  walls,  designed  to  prevent  the  spreading  of  a  fire.      The 

openings  in   these  fire  walls   are  provided  with   self-closing  fire  doors 

which  are  held  open  by  a  fusible  link  of  alloy  of  such  a  character  that 

when  the  temperature  rises  to  a  predetermined  point  the  alloy  melts  and 

the  door  automatically  shuts.   These  doors  are  hung  on  wheels  which  run 

on  an  inclined  track,  and  when  released  by  the  melting  of  the  alloy  the 

j  force  of  gravity  propels  the  door  down  the  track  until  it  is  firmly  shut. 

|  These  doors  are  constructed  of  metal  and  other  fireproof  material,  and 

!  at  regular  intervals  the  operating  mechanism  is  inspected  and  tested. 

80 


In  all  modern  buildings  throughout  the  various  factories  special 
stair  towers  pre  erected..  These  are  also  provided  with  fireproof  doors 
and  windows,  and  serve  a  double  purpose,  viz.,  to  prevent  a  possible  fire 
from  sweeping  up  the  stairway  and  spreading  to  additional  floors,  and 
to  serve  as  fireproof  and  smoke-proof  exits  for  employees.  The  location 
of  these  stairs  has  been  carefully  worked  out  by  the  various  experts  of 
the  insurance  companies  and  the  State  Factory  Inspection  Department. 
As  a  general  rule  they  are  provided  at  both  ends  of  the  building  and  in 
the  middle  of  the  building.  By  this  arrangement  a  large  number  of  exits 


GIVING  FIRE  ALARM  FROM  MASTER  BOX 

are  provided;  if  a  fire  were  to  break  out  at  one  end  of  the  building  the 
employees  could  use  the  stairways  at  the  other  end  and  in  the  middle, 
or  if  a  fire  were  to  break  out  in  the  middle  of  the  building  the  stairs  at     / 
both  ends  would  be  available.  — r-' 

The  same  arrangement  is  used  in  the  large  office  buildings;  for 
instance,  in  the  main  office  building  at  Schenectady  each  wing  is  isolated 
by  fireproof  walls  and  doors  and  is  served  by  an  enclosed  stairs  at  the 
end,  which  is  shut  off  from  the  halls  by  fireproof  doors.  In  addition 
there  is  a  main  staircase  at  the  middle  of  the  building. 

Exits  are  clearly  marked  by  red  signs  and  at  night  by  red  lights. 
All  fire  alarm  boxes  are  marked  by  blue  lights,  and  all  fire  hose  lines 
inside  the  buildings  are  indicated  by  green  lights. 

81 


mg, 


FIRE-FIGHTING  EQUIPMENT  IN  BUILDINGS 

Each  building  is  provided  with  an  elaborate  equipment  for  prevent- 
detecting,  and  extinguishing  fires,  night  and  day.     A  standard  fire 


TYPICAL  HOSE  HOUSE 


INTERIOR  OF  HOSE  HOUSE,  SHOWING  FOUR-WAY  HYDRANT, 
HOSE,  AND  OTHER  EQUIPMENT 

alarm  system  is  used,  to  which  are  connected  82  fire  alarm  boxes  on  four 
separate  circuits.  The  number  of  the  box  corresponds  to  the  number  of 
the  building  in  which  it  is  installed.  Fire  gongs  operated  from  the 

82 


central  station  announce  the  existence  of  a  fire  to  all  buildings  in  the 
vicinity.  For  a  first  alarm  only  certain  designated  companies  respond; 
but  on  a  second  alarm  all  companies  respond. 

Each  floor  of  the  buildings  is  supplied  with  iJ/2-in.  hose  lines  per- 
manently connected  to  the  water  system.  There  are  over  ten  miles  of 
these  shop  lines  in  the  Schenectady  Works  alone;  3326  water  pails  are 
distributed  throughout  the  works,  as  well  as  numerous  other  pails 
containing  sand,  sawdust,  and  wet  bags  for  extinguishing  oil  and  electrical 
fires. 

Automatic  sprinklers,  numbering  almost  75,000  in  the  Schenectady 
Works,  are  the  standard  means  employed  for  automatically  extinguishing 
fires  at  their  inception.  These  are  placed  eight  feet  apart  at  the  ceiling. 
Here  again  the  skill  of  the  metallurgist  is  employed,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
fire  doors,  for  when  the  temperature  rises  to  a  dangerous  degree  at  any 
point  it  melts  the  alloy  of  the  sprinkler,  and  the  surrounding  walls, 
partitions,  floors,  and  contents  of  the  building  are  drenched.  The  fact 
that  only  those  sprinklers  close  to  the  fire  are  put  in  operation  results 
in  a  great  saving  of  property,  as  much  unnecessary  flooding  is  thus 
avoided.  The  auto-sprinkler  both  discovers  and  extinguishes  a  fire,  as 
it  is  first  on  the  scene. 

Each  building  is  further  supplied  with  fire  ladders,  thus  making  it 
unnecessary  for  the  ladder  companies  to  carry  extra  long  ladders  for  the 
high  factory  buildings. 

It  has  been  found  that  two  of  the  main  sources  of  fire  are  spontaneous 
combustion  and  careless  smokers,  and  special  precautions  are  taken  to 
obviate  these  hazards.  Oily  waste  must  be  thrown  in  metal  cans  specially 
provided  and  emptied  at  regular  intervals.  Smoking  is  prohibited  in  the 
factory  buildings  at  all  times,  and  in  the  yards  and  streets  except  during 
the  noon  hour.  Certain  men  are  made  responsible  for  preventing 
accumulations  of  rubbish,  dust,  greasy  overalls,  etc. 

HANDLING  INFLAMMABLE  MATERIALS 

In  manufacturing  electrical  apparatus  there  is  more  opportunity 
for  fires  than  in  some  other  lines  of  work.  Certain  departments  require 
special  care  on  the  part  of  the  employees  against  this  danger.  They 
include  the  painting  and  japanning  departments,  where  benzine  or  other 
solvents  are  used  that  are  very  inflammable,  and  under  certain  conditions 
explosive;  the  insulating  departments,  where  linseed  oil,  varnish,  benzine, 
alcohol,  and  other  highly  inflammable  materials  are  used;  departments 
in  which  cotton,  numerous  soldering  irons,  lead  melting  pots,  etc.,  are 
required;  and  testing  departments  and  all  other  places  where  electric 
wiring,  much  of  it  carrying  current  at  high  voltage,  is  to  be  found. 

83 


In  departments  that  use  japan,  varnish,  and  oil  tanks,  and  in  baking 
ovens  where  special  risk  is  involved,  special  equipment  for  putting  out  fires 
has  been  provided.  Some  of  the  ovens  are  connected  with  steam  pipes 


Fig.  47.     FIRE  STATION,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 


Fig.  48.    INTERIOR  OF  FIRE  STATION 

to  smother  fires;  some  of  the  testing  departments  have  a  supply  of  carbon 
dioxide  for  putting  out  oil  fires  in  closed  tanks.  In  some  places  sawdust 
boxes  for  smothering  japan,  varnish,  or  benzine  fires  have  been  installed. 

84 


The  idea  of  the  fusible  plug  used  in  the  sprinkler  system  can  be 
carried  still  further  and  used  to  advantage  in  automatically  smothering 
fires  that  start  in  dripping  tanks.  Iron  doors,  hinged  and  swung  beyond 
the  center  of  gravity,  are  held  in  place  by  fusible  links  which  melt  in  case 
of  fire  and  close  the  lids. 

CENTRAL  FIRE  STATION  EQUIPMENT  AND  WATER  SYSTEM 

The  fire  headquarters  building  is  shown  in  one  of  the  illustrations. 
Hose  companies  3  and  7  (the  latter  the  night  company)  and  the  ladder 
company  are  quartered  in  this  building.  The  fire  chief  also  has  his  office 
here.  The  emergency  hospital  occupies  the  rear.  Its  work  was  described 
and  illustrated  in  a  previous  chapter. 

This  station  contains  the  following  apparatus:  one  automobile  hose 
wagon  carrying  1500  ft.  of  2^/s-in.  hose,  play  pipes,  extinguishers,  two 
deluge  sets,  one  rubber  cover,  axes,  rakes,  forks,  shovels,  door  opener,  hose 
lines,  and  life  line;  seven  two-wheeled  hose  reels,  each  carrying  500  ft.  of 
2^-in.  hose,  play  pipes,  axe,  and  pipe  holder;  two  ladder  trucks,  carrying 
ladders,  axes,  forks,  shovels,  extinguishers,  and  rubber  covers;  and  three 
spare  hose  reels  to  replace  regular  equipment  when  repairs  are  to  be  made, 
one  of  the  spare  reels  being  fully  equipped  so  that  it  can  be  pressed  into 
service  at  any  time. 

There  are  125  hydrants  in  service  in  the  Works,  41  of  these  having 


hose  houses  over  them,  in  each  of  which  is  installed  200  feet  of 
hose  (100  ft.  connected  to  the  hydrant  and  100  ft.  in  reserve),  two  play 
pipes,  one  pipe  holder,  one  axe,  two  spanners,  and  hydrant  wrenches. 
There  are  almost  14  miles  of  fire  hose  in  service,  disposed  of  as  follows: 
5000  ft.  of  2%-in.  hose  carried  on  fire  apparatus;  8200  ft.  of  2%-in.  hose 
in  hydrant  hose  houses;  and  57,950  ft.  on  fire  plugs  in  the  buildings. 

The  pressure  on  the  water  system  is  maintained  by  both  gravity 
and  pumps.  In  the  main  pumping  station  (Buildings  13  and  I3A)  are 
installed  one  Snow  pump  of  6,000,000  gallons  capacity  daily,  one  Drane 
pump  of  3,000,000  gallons,  and  two  Worthington  fire  pumps  of  2,160,000 
gallons.  In  Building  61  there  are  two  Worthington  fire  pumps  of  4,320,000 
gallons  capacity,  and  in  Building  118  one  Alberger  pump  of  7,000,000 
gallons  capacity,  making  a  total  daily  pumping  capacity  of  22,480,000 
gallons.  The  tank  on  the  hill  in  Bellevue  at  the  back  of  the  Works 
contains  1,036,000  gallons  of  water.  The  water  for  the  system  is  taken 
from  the  Mohawk  River  and  the  old  Erie  Canal  and  is  distributed  through 
I4J/2  rniles  of  yard  mains.  The  mains  are  interconnected  and  arranged 
in  such  a  way  that  a  rupture  at  any  point  in  the  system  can  be  quickly 
isolated  by  valves  and  will  affect  only  a  very  small  part  of  the  system. 
Additional  protection  is  afforded  by  connection  to  the  city  water  system,^ 
which  will  enable  city  water  to  be  utilized  in  the  event  of  a  breakdown 

85 


of  the  whole  of  the  Company's  pumping  plant.  The  average  daily 
consumption  for  factory  purposes  is  8,650,857  gallons.  This  does  not 
include  water  for  drinking  purposes  which  is  obtained  from  the  city  mains. 


Fig.  49.     FIRE  DRILL  WITH  HOSE  EQUIPMENT 


Fig.  50.     FIRE  DRILL  FOR  EMPLOYEES 

An   entire   department    consisting    of   400  employees    is   regularly  emptied   in   one   and  one  half  minutes. 
Another  complete  floor  with  500  workers  requires  an  average  of  two  minutes  to  vacate. 

THE  ORGANIZATION 

The  fire  organization  was  formed  during  the  summer  of  1889,  and 
consisted  of  40  men.   Its  present  strength   (in  1917)  is  176  men,  formed 

86 


into  eight  hose  companies  and  one  ladder  company,  each  with  its  own 
quarters  and  apparatus. 

It  is  significant  of  the  efficiency  of  the  present  fire-fighting  system, 
and  organization  that  during  this  period  of  29  years,  in  which  the  Schenec- 
tady  Works  has  increased  in  size  from  144,000  square  feet  of  floor  space 
to  5>333>oo°  square  feet,  the  fire  department  has  been  enlarged  only 
4.4  times  and  is  protecting  a  space  38^2  times  as  large. 

The  permanent  professional  fire  fighters  of  the  Schenectady  Depart- 
ment consist  of  a  fire  chief,  who  is  a  member  of  the  International  Associa- 
tion of  Fire  Engineers  and  the  New  York  State  Fire  Chiefs'  Association, 
assistant  chief,  two  inspectors,  and  the  captain  of  the  night  fire  company. 
The  night  fire  company  consists  of  two  officers  and  ten  men  located  at 
the  central  fire  station.  These  men  sleep  in  the  station  and  the  Company 
furnishes  them  with  lodging,  supper,  and  breakfast.  Each  member  is  on 
duty  from  5:30  p.m.  until  6:30  a.m.,  and  with  the  exception  of  the 
captain,  all  are  regularly  employed  in  the  shops  during  the  day.  They 
are  allowed  one  night  off  in  three  and  are  the  busiest  fire  company  in 
the  department.  They  responded  to  59  fire  alarms  in  1916. 

FIRE  CREW  FOR  EACH  BUILDING 

The  other  members  of  the  department  are  termed  "call  men,"  who 
are  selected  from  the  shops  on  the  recommendation  of  the  foremen. 
Men  are  preferred  who  have  had  experience  as  professional  fire  fighters. 
These  men  receive  one  week  of  vacation  in  the  summer  and  other  per- 
quisites. 

Each  building  is  served  by  a  definite  number  of  firemen,  who  are 
assigned  to  certain  departments  or  floors.  They  are  formed  into  com- 
panies and  are  put  in  charge  of  a  hose  house,  where  they  report  upon  the 
first  fire  alarm.  These  companies  average  15  men  each,  and  are 
organized  with  a  captain,  lieutenant,  and  senior  hoseman.  Each  member 
of  the  company  is  responsible  for  the  fire  equipment  in  his  department 
or  section  of  the  building  under  his  care,  and  he  makes  daily  inspections 
of  the  sprinkler  system,  fire  hose,  pails,  fire  alarm  gongs,  etc.  The  cleanli- 
ness and  general  good  order  within  the  buildings  are  also  looked  after 
by  these  men. 

Each  man  is  furnished  with  a  helmet,  coat,  rubber  boots,  and  other 
items  that  make  up  a  fireman's  equipment.  This  paraphernalia  is  kept 
in  a  metal  locker  close  by  his  station  in  the  shop.  He  is  supplied  with  a 
fire  department  badge  which  admits  him  to  the  works  at  all  times. 

FIRE  DEPARTMENT  DRILLS 

Under  the  direction  of  the  chief,  the  fire  department  is  drilled 
20  times  a  year,  each  drill  being  entirely  unannounced.  When 
responding  to  this  alarm  no  one  but  the  chief  is  aware  of  the  fact  that 

87 


it  is  a  drill;  and  thus  the  surprise  element  keeps  every  member  on  the 
qui  vive.  At  all  fire  drills  a  second  alarm  is  sounded,  which  calls  the 
entire  department  into  action. 

Hose  races  are  held  once  a  year  to  determine  which  company  has  the 
greatest  speed.  The  night  patrol  men  are  drilled  once  a  month  on  hose 
duty,  sprinkler  valve  duty,  and  shop  fire  protection.  In  the  winter 
instructions  are  given  to  the  whole  department  by  the  fire  chief.  These 
lectures  and  discussions  are  held  in  the  gymnasium  of  the  central  fire 
station. 


FIREMEN'S  QUARTERS  IN  FIRE  STATION 


Regular  inspections  are  being  made  constantly.  The  buildings  and 
grounds  are  inspected  by  the  chief  and  assistant  chief,  and  the  sprinkler 
valves  by  the  assistant  chief  and  inspectors.  The  inspectors  also  inspect 
all  of  the  indicator  post  valves  on  the  sprinkler  system,  the  hydrants, 
yard  valves,  hydrant  hose  houses,  hose  companies,  and  apparatus. 

These  inspections  are  conducted  weekly,  and  are  in  addition  to  the 
inspection  of  the  buildings  and  departments  by  the  other  members  of  the 
fire  department. 

EXIT  DRILLS 

Exit  drills  for  employees  are  given  once  a  month.  A  complete 
organization  is  formed  in  the  shops  at  each  drill,  consisting  of  leaders, 
stairway  guards,  firemen,  searchers,  and  power  men.  These  exit  drills 
are  conducted  by  the  foreman  of  each  department,  who  has  a  regular 
corps  of  assistants.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  leaders  to  form  the  line  for  the 
march  to  the  various  exits  and  to  lead  the  way  out.  The  stair  guards 


are  stationed  on  the  landing  at  the  top  of  the  stairs  and  on  intermediate 
landings  to  direct  and  assist  the  employees  in  leaving  the  building. 
The  duty  of  the  searchers  is  to  search  the  building  for  anyone  who  may 
have  been  left  behind,  due  to  injury  or  faintness.  The  searchers  are  the 
last  people  to  leave  the  building.  In  the  meantime  the  power  men  shut 
off  all  power  and  stop  all  machinery  in  the  building,  and  the  firemen 
turn  in  the  alarm  and  use  the  inside  hose  lines,  extinguishers,  buckets, 
etc.,  every  possible  means  being  employed  to  extinguish  the  fire  while 
the  fire  department  is  responding.  An  alarm  is  provided  en  every  floor, 
consisting  of  an  air  whistle  of  distinctive  tone  which  can  be  heard  dis- 
tinctly over  the  entire  floor. 

FIREMEN'S  CLUB  FACILITIES 

On  the  second  floor  of  the  fire  central  station  is  a  pool  room,  reading 
room,  gymnasium,  and  shower  bath  room  for  the  convenience  and 
recreation  of  all  members  of  the  fire  department.  The  dormitory  for  the 
night  company  is  in  the  same  building. 

A  relief  association  is  formed  among  the  members  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment, and  an  assessment  of  ten  cents  a  week  is  paid  by  each  member. 
A  benefit  of  $9  per  week  for  1.3  weeks  is  paid  members  of  the  associa- 
tion on  account  of  illness  or  disability.  This  organization  is  a  flourishing 
one,  has  a  good  substantial  surplus  in  the  treasury,  and  since  the  associa- 
tion was  organized  in  1904  has  paid  a  substantial  dividend  to  the  mem- 
bers. 

A  TYPICAL  YEAR'S  WORK 

During  the  year  1915  the  fire  department  responded  to  62  alarms  of 
fire,  22  bell  alarms,  and  40  still  alarms.  The  fire  loss  was  $817.29,  the 
largest  individual  loss  being  $300.  Twenty-five  fires  were  extinguished 
with  iJ/2-in.  shop  lines,  15  with  fire  pails,  II  with  extinguishers,  six  with 
2^-in.  house  lines,  six  with  sprinklers,  four  with  sand,  one  with  wet 
bags,  and  one  with  pyrene. 

The  longest  fire  with  which  the  Schenectady  Works  fire  department 
has  fought  lasted  three  months.  A  pile  of  soft  coal  500  feet  long,  40  feet 
wide,  and  25  feet  high  caught  fire  from  spontaneous  combustion.  From 
one  to  five  streams  of  water  were  played  night  and  day  upon  this  coal 
fire  for  ninety  days.  But  this  was  not  sufficient,  as  it  was  found  necessary 
to  turn  over  the  coal  so  that  the  water  could  penetrate  all  portions  of 
this  huge  pile.  The  expense  of  doing  this  with  skilled  firemen  and  high- 
class  mechanics  soon  became  such  an  item  that  foreign  laborers  with 
shovels  were  employed  to  perform  the  work.  Forty  pairs  of  rubber  boots 
were  worn  out  in  extinguishing  this  one  fire. 

89 


It  is  a  peculiar  fact  in  the  life  of  members  of  the  fire  department 
that  the  more  efficiently  they  do  their  work  the  less  exciting  the  work 
becomes.  The  members  do  not  feel,  however,  that  their  work  is  less 
interesting,  as  there  is  nothing  that  gives  an  ambitious  man  greater 
satisfaction  than  the  feeling  that  he  has  done  his  work  well;  that  by 
doing  so  he  has  benefited  others.  The  record  of  the  Schenectady  Works 
Fire  Department  is  one  of  which  they  can  feel  justly  proud;  there  are 
few  fire  departments  which  can  boast  that  the  average  loss  per  fire  is 
only  $11. 

The  activities  of  the  General  Electric  Company  in  fire  prevention 
are  not  limited  to  the  protection  of  its  manufacturing  plants  and  its 
employees;  its  work  in  this  direction  has  been  extended  to  the  benefit 
of  the  public  by  careful  study  of  all  its  products  with  the  view  of  minimiz- 
ing the  chance  of  fire  through  their  use.  Some  of  the  devices  that  are 
more  commonly  used  by  the  public  that  receive  special  attention  in  this 
respect  include  electric  lamp  sockets,  flatirons,  snap  and  push  switches, 
small  motors,  and  domestic  heating  devices.  Frequent  conferences  are 
held  between  the  company's  engineers  and  representatives  of  the  National 
Board  of  Underwriters  with  the  purpose  of  adopting  designs  that  insure 
the  greatest  security  from  electrical  fires. 

The  foregoing  description  relates  particularly  to  the  fire  department 
of  the  Schenectady  Works,  as  this  is  the  largest  organization  of  the  kind 
in  the  Company.  The  Company's  other  plants  have  each  a  well-organized 
fire  department  that  resembles  in  most  respects,  though  on  a  smaller 
scale,  the  department  at  Schenectady. 


90 


AFIRE 

In  this  plant  may  put 
every  man  out  of  work. 

Guard  the  property 
against  Fire,  and  protect 

YOUR  JOB 

NO  SMOKING 


FIRE  PROTECTION 

Have  you  planned  what  you  would  do  in  case  of  fire?  Do  you 
know  where  the  nearest  fire  alarm  box  is?  Do  you  know  how  to 
send  in  an  alarm? 

Do  you  know  all  the  means  of  escape  from  your  building? 
Are  they  clear  and  usable? 

Do  you  know  if  the  fire  doors  will  work  automatically?  Have 
you  provided  for  prompt  closing  of  all  doors  and  windows  in  case 
of  fire? 

Do  you  know  where  the  fire  apparatus  in  your  building  is 
kept?  Do  you  know  how  to  use  it? 

Do  you  know  where  the  nearest  hydrants  are  and  do  you  know 
how  to  get  out  the  hose? 

If  you  haven't  thought  of  these  things,  now  is  the  time  to  begin. 


CHAPTER  VII 
RESTAURANTS 


Roast  Beef 
Stewed  Tomatoes 


MENU 


Milk  (or  Coffee) 
Cocoanut  Pudding 


Mashed  Potatoes 
Bread  and  Butter 


Price  25  cents 


This  bill  of  fare  is  typical  of  the  noonday  meal  that  is  being  served 
today  to  employees  of  the  Schenectady  Works  of  the  General  Electric 
Company.  It  is  a  full  equivalent  of  the  meals  that  were  served  in  this 
restaurant  five  years  ago,  despite  the  steep  increase  in  the  cost  of  all 
food  stuffs  during  this  period.  The  ability  to  serve  this  meal  today  at 
the  price  in  force  five  years  ago  is  the  result  of  skillful  application  of 
engineering  principles  in  the  kitchen  and  in  the  method  of  serving 
customers. 

The  following  table,  which  was  prepared  by  a  food  expert,  shows 
that  this  midday  meal  provides  one  third  of  the  nourishment  required 
for  a  day's  hard  work: 

CALORIES  IN  TYPICAL  25-CENT  MIDDAY  MEAL 


Dish 

Amount 
O/. 

Calories 
Protein 

Calories 
Fat 

Calories 
Carbo- 
hydrates 

Total 
Calories 

Roast  beef  
Gravy  (brown  sauce)  
Mashed  potatoes  

I'4 

C 

69 

7 
13 

81 
24 

80 

o 

19 

75 

150 
50 
1  68 

Stewed  tomatoes  

2 

2 

25 

Coconut  pudding. 

T. 

17 

46 

45 

1  08 

Bread  

2.2C 

2O 

8 

112 

140 

Butter  

6.C 

O 

IOO 

O 

IOO 

Mug  of  milk  

8 

3° 

88 

47 

165 

Sugar 

o  1^6 

o 

o 

ICO 

150 

Total 

25.286 

161 

429 

466 

1056 

Average  calories  needed  daily  by  a  man  employing  muscular  strength 325° 

Number  of  calories  in  the  noonday  meal  at  the  General  Electric  Schenectady 

restaurant 1056  or  32^2% 

92 


OVER  A  MILLION  MEALS  A  YEAR 

The  figures  below  show  that  the  popularity  of  this  restaurant  is 
increasing,  owing  as  much  to  the  improved  facilities  as  to  war  conditions. 


Number  of 

Number  of 

Year 

Employees  in 

Customers 

Schenectady  Works 

Served  Annually 

1908 

",359 

324»377 

1909 

11,361 

467,779 

1910 

16,462 

626,178 

I9II 

16,107 

592,765 

1912 

17487 

611,525 

1913 

*9>977 

710,570 

I9H 

16,823 

580,081 

I9IS 

15,347 

499,706 

1916 

20,985 

707,415 

1917  (9  months) 

21,000 

6l9,20I 

The  meals  for  1917  will  probably  amount  to  800,000,  as  almost 
20,000  meals  were  being  served  every  week  during  September  1917. 
If  this  rate  is  kept  up  without  any  further  increase  the  year  1918  will 
show  over  1,000,000  customers. 

CENTRALIZED  PURCHASING 

It  will  be  inferred  that  such  a  restaurant  has  probably  established 
favorable  relations  with  markets,  packing  establishments,  fisheries,  and 
grocers,  and  that  rock-bottom  prices  should  result  because  of  the  loyalty 
of  the  supply  houses  to  one  of  their  largest  spot  cash  customers.  The 
dealers  in  Schenectady  alone  sell  $50,000  worth  of  provisions  every  year 
to  this  restaurant. 

The  meat  is  bought  direct  from  a  Chicago  packing  house,  and  the 
fish  from  Boston.  In  purchasing  the  groceries,  vegetables,  etc.,  the 
policy  is  followed  of  first  obtaining  the  best  products  possible,  and  then 
giving  the  business  to  the  firms  who,  service  considered,  quote  the  best 
prices. 

QUANTITY  PRODUCTION 

All  the  meats,  vegetables,  etc.,  are  prepared  in  the  kitchen;  the 
puddings  are  made  here,  and  also  700  pies  and  600  loaves  of  bread  are 
baked  daily.  By  providing  facilities  for  these  cooking  operations  the 
cost  has  been  reduced  to  the  minimum. 

KITCHEN  EQUIPMENT 

The  kitchen  is  equipped  with  aluminum  pots,  kettles,  and  other 
utensils,  for  although  it  has  been  found  that  these  utensils  cost  more, 
their  durability  and  the  ease  with  which  they  can  be  kept  clean  justifies 
this  initial  extra  expense.  From  the  standpoint  of  the  chef  the  aluminum 
kettle  will  stay  hot  longer  than  a  copper  kettle,  and  will  also  produce 


93 


p         -t-^UPTO  SECOND  FLOOR              ^\^Y~  X"\A/~~      \A 

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COFFEE  URN  5 

KITCHEN  SPACE 

PLAN  OF  PORTION  OF  FIRST  FLOOR  OF  SCHENECTADY  WORK'S  RESTAURANT, 

SHOWING  ARRANGEMENT  OF  TABLES,  BELT  CONVEYORS,  KITCHEN, 

AND  ROUTE  OF  PATRONS 


more  satisfactory  food.  For  the  same  reason  aluminum  trays  are  used 
in  the  restaurant;  they  are  light  in  weight,  rugged,  and  easy  to  keep  clean, 
Wherever  possible  the  mechanical  processes,  such  as  cutting  bread 


Fig.  51.    SCHENECTADY  WORKS  RESTAURANT 


-"•— TIH14..  . 


Fig.  52.     PITTSFIELD  WORKS  RESTAURANT 

chopping  meat  and  vegetables,  artificial  refrigeration,  etc.,  are  performed 
by  electric  motors. 

Another  example  of  thrift  is  found  in  the  simple  fact  that  the  flour 
is  not  purchased  in  barrels  but  in  bags;  for  each  flour  bag,  after  being 
emptied,  furnishes  two  cleaning  cloths  for  use  by  the  restaurant 
employees. 

95 


RESTAURANT  SERVICE 

Of    the    3500    meals    served    daily,    500   are    breakfasts,    200   are 
midnight  lunches,  300  are  suppers,  and  800  meals  are  delivered  to  the 


Fig.  53.     KITCHEN  IN  SCHENECTADY  WORKS  RESTAURANT 


Fig.  54.     ELECTRIC  KITCHEN  IN  PITTSFIELD  WORKS  RESTAURANT 

shops.  Thus  1700  meals  are  served  during  the  noon  hour  in  the  main 
restaurant  building.  This  situation  involves  mechanical  difficulties 
which  can  be  economically  met  only  by  mechanical  means. 

In  1916  the  seating  capacity  of  this  restaurant  was  802  and  the 
maximum  meals  possible  to  serve  during  the  luncheon  hour  was  950. 
In  1917  the  seating  capacity  was  increased  to  mo,  and  1400  meals  have 

96 


been  served  in  half  an  hour.  The  maximum  number  which  can  be  served 
during  the  entire  noon  hour  has  not  yet  been  ascertained  in  practice,  as 
the  new  system  has  never  been  worked  to  its  full  capacity.  In  fact,  the 
second  floor  is  serving  practically  as  many  meals  as  were  served  in  the 
entire  building  before  the  improvements  were  made. 

This  increase  in  seating  and  serving  capacity  has  already  been 
accompanied  by  an  increase  of  1000  meals  served  per  week  without  any 
addition  to  the  restaurant  payroll.  This  largely  accounts  for  the  fact 
that  the  restaurant  is  self-supporting  at  the  extreme  prices  prevailing 
for  food  products. 

ENGINEERING  IN  RESTAURANT  SERVICE 

The  increase  in  seating  capacity  was  a  simple  architectural  detail; 
but  the  increased  serving  capacity  required  the  skill  of  the  engineer  for 
its  solution — a  problem  of  quantity  distribution  in  limited  time.  The. 
essential  feature  of  the  new  service  was  the  installation  of  a  "  serve-self" 
system,  expedited  by  four  conveyor  belts.  Before  the  adoption  of  the 
serve-self  plan  in  1917,  it  had  been  opposed  on  the  grounds  that  one 
slow  man  can  delay  a  hundred  who  are  waiting  the  opportunity  to  serve 
themselves.  But  the  conveyors  are  so  arranged  that  they  not  only 
eliminate  all  physical  efforts  in  connection  with  serving  oneself,  but 
they  likewise  speed  up  the  process  and  avoid  the  objection  of  the  slow 
man  delaying  those  behind  him. 

When  operating  under  the  old  plan,  50  waitresses  served  approxi- 
mately 1000  meals,  each  waitress  delivering  food  for  20  customers. 
With  the  new  arrangement  1700  men  serve  1700  meals,  thus  making 
each  person  serve  only  one  meal.  Obviously",  one  person  can  serve 
one  meal  quicker  and  better  than  one  person  can  serve  twenty  meals. 
The  progress  of  the  restaurant  patrons  is  routed  so  that  there  is  no 
retracing  of  steps  or  doubling  back.  The  traffic  does  not  interfere 
with  the  serving,  as  was  the  case  when  waitresses  were  moving  back  and 
forth  with  heavily  loaded  trays.  Looking  at  the  matter  in  a  different 
way,  the  serve-self  system  brings  the  man  to  the  food,  whereas  the 
waitress  was  compelled  under  the  old  system  to  bring  food  to  20  men. 

MEALS  SERVED  IN  ONE  MINUTE 

The  average  time  required  by  a  customer,  from  the  pay-as-you-enter 
cash  desk  until  he  is  served  and  seated,  is  less  than  one  minute.  The 
progress  is  as  follows: 

Promptly  upon  the  blowing  of  the  whistle  at  noon,  four  lines  of  men 
form  in  front  of  four  cash  registers  to  purchase  their  luncheon  tickets. 
Few  of  us  have  ever  had  the  opportunity  of  watching  a  cashier  make 
change  and  sell  29  tickets  per  minute,  yet  this  is  the  rate  of  speed  at 

97 


which  each  of  the  four  cashiers  operates.  Anyone  who  hears  the  clang 
of  a  cash  register  bell  every  half  second  can  appreciate  how  rapid  must 
be  the  food  distribution  necessary  to  keep  pace.  After  the  men  file  past 


Fig.  55.     SCHENECTADY  WORK'S  RESTAURANT,  SHOWING  TABLES  AND  SEATING 

ARRANGEMENT 


Fig.  56.    CONVEYOR  BELT  AND  STEAM  TABLES,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS  RESTAURANT 

the  cash  register,  they  approach  at  right  angles  to  the  end  of  one  of  the 
four  belt  conveyors.  Adjacent  to  the  nearer  end  of  the  belt  conveyor  the 
ticket  is  exchanged  for  an  aluminum  tray  which  is  laid  on  the  conveyor 
belt.  These  belts  travel  at  the  rate  of  65  feet  per  minute  and  allow  15 

98 


seconds  for  the  customer  to  select  his  food.  Following  his  tray  he  helps 
himself  to  either  meat  or  fish;  then  potatoes,  tomatoes,  pudding  or  pie, 
and  milk  or  coffee,  all  awaiting  him  on  a  hot  steam  table,  parallel  to  the 


Fig.  57.     DINING  ROOM,  ADMINISTRATION  BUILDING,  WEST  LYNN  WORKS 


Fig.  58.     FOREMEN'S  DINING  ROOM,  WEST  LYNN  WORKS 

belt.    By  this  time  his  tray  is  within  five  or  six  feet  of  the  end  of  the  belt, 
where  the  checker  o.k's  the  contents  of  his  tray. 

After  removing  his  tray  from  the  conveyor  belt  the  diner  takes  it  to 
his  seat.  It  is  perfectly  proper  to  say  that  he  takes  it  to  his  reserved  seat, 
because  tickets  are  only  sold  up  to  seating  capacity;  but  the  capacity 
of  the  restaurant  is  much  greater  than  would  be  indicated  by  the  number 

99 


of  seats,  because  many  men  have  finished  their  luncheon  by  12:10  p.m., 
and  the  process  of  removing  the  dishes  begins  immediately.  At  12:10 
service  again  begins  in  the  restaurant  until  all  comers  have  been  fed. 


Fig.  59.     DINING  ROOM,  MAIN  OFFICE  BUILDING,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 


Fig.  60.     DINING  ROOM,  HARRISON  WORKS 

The  intermittent  plan  of  service  assures  a  seat  for  all  who  have 
entered  and  thus  prevents  congestion.  One  of  the  benefits  of  this  system 
is  the  fact  that  the  trays,  dishes,  silver,  and  glasses  used  by  the  early 
arrivals  are  promptly  washed  and  used  by  the  late  comers.  Thus  it  is 
possible  for  1700  people  to  be  served  within  an  hour  with  only  1300  trays, 

100 


glasses,  and  sets  of  silver  and  uishes.  Incredible' as  it*  may  seem,  so  many 
men  complete  their  meal  and  leave  the  restaurant  in  10  minutes  that 
their  dishes  can  be  washed  and  dried  and  used  by  the  second  set  of 
diners  who  begin  serving  themselves  at  12:10 — ten  minutes  after  the 
blowing  of  the  factory  whistle. 


Fig.  61.     ERIE  WORKS  RESTAURANT 


Fig.  62.    LUNCH  COUNTER,  OFFICE  BUILDING  RESTAURANT,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

Each  of  these  conveyors  serve  from  30  to  40  people  per  minute,  and 
since  there  are  four  of  them  120  to  160  meals  can  be  served  each  minute 
during  the  noon  period.  Thus  the  opportunity  has  not  yet  appeared 
for  testing  the  new  arrangement  at  its  maximum  number  of  meals. 


To  form  "a  conception  of  this  service  imagine  a  file  of  soldiers, 
standing  at  the  regulation  distance  of  40  inches  from  each  other,  reaching 
up  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  from  26th  Street  to  5Oth  Street;  these 
1700  men — more  than  a  regiment — could  be  served  in  less  than  10 
minutes. 

REDUCTION  IN  PAYROLL 

In  1916,  under  the  old  system,  150  employees  were  required  to  serve 
approximately  950  regular  meals.  In  1917  the  number  of  employees  has 
been  reduced  to  66,  and  despite  this  economy  1400  regular  meals  are 
served  quicker  and  better.  It  is  this  increased  speed  of  the  mechanical 
serve-self  system  which  has  lessened  the  unit  cost  of  the  noonday 
meal  to  an  extent  exceeding  the  fondest  expectations  of  the  advocates 
of  the  conveyor  installation. 

OFFICE  BUILDING  RESTAURANT 

In  the  basement  of  the  main  office  building  of  the  Schenectady 
Works  is  another  restaurant  which  served  over  500,000  customers 
last  year.  All  of  the  cooking  is  done  electrically,  and  the  following 
equipment  is  installed: 

1 6  electric  toasters, 

2  large  electric  toasters — hotel  size, 

13  electric  ovens  for  baking  and  roasting, 
12  electric  stoves  for  boiling,  stewing,  and  grilling, 
6  electric  coffee  urns, 

3  electric  exhaust  fans  with  ventilating  ducts  to  the  roof, 
2  electric  dishwashers, 

I  electric  hot  table, 

i  electric  dough  mixer, 

I  electric  potato  peeler, 

i  electric  potato  masher, 

I  electric  food  chopper, 

i  electric  aluminum  soup    kettle — the   largest   electric   kettle 

ever  manufactured, 
i  electric  machine  for  ice  and  refrigeration. 

With  such  modern  equipment  as  this  the  cuisine  is  of  the  best. 
This  restaurant  is  not  only  of  great  convenience  to  the  office  employees, 
but  it  provides  a  ready  and  agreeable  means  of  entertaining  visitors  and 
customers. 

LYNN  WORKS 

At  the  Lynn  Works  there  are  four  restaurants.  One  of  these  is 
located  in  the  Administration  Building,  where  the  department  heads, 
engineers,  and  other  office  employees  have  their  noonday  meal.  In 

102 


another  building  is  the  foremen's  dining  room,  which  is  patronized  also 
by  the  foremen's  assistants,  clerks,  etc.  There  is  also  a  lunch  room 
serving  meals  on  the  serve-self  plan,  which  can  accommodate  from 
1500  to  2000  employees  during  the  noon  hour.  In  the  West  Lynn  Works 
there  is  a  girls'  cafeteria  serving  soup,  light  sandwiches,  ice  cream,  and 
hot  cocoa.  In  all  of  these  restaurants  the  same  quality  of  food  is  served 
to  all. 

PITTSFIELD  RESTAURANT 

At  the   Pittsfield  Works   the  restaurant  conditions   are   somewhat 
different.  Owing  to  the  proximity  of  the  homes  of  many  of  the  employees 


Fig.  63.     FACTORY  RESTAURANT,  WEST  LYNN  WORKS 

the  demand  for  meals  is  not  so  great  as  in  the  case  of  some  of  the  other 
factories.  However,  as  electric  cooking  devices  form  an  important  part 
of  the  product  manufactured  at  the  Pittsfield  Works,  it  was  found 
desirable  to  equip  a  small  restaurant  where  electric  cooking  devices 
could  be  shown  in  actual  operation  and  where  a  first-class  meal  could  be 
served  at  practically  cost. 

The  Pittsfield  restaurant  is  furnished  with  a  large  electric  kitchen, 
the  ranges,  bake  ovens,  broilers,  and  toasters  being  operated  electrically. 
The  meat  cutters,  dishwasher,  potato  peeler,  and  refrigerating  equipment 
are  all  driven  by  electric  motors. 

HARRISON  LAMP  WORKS 

Due  to  space  restrictions  at  the  Harrison  Works  three  types  of 
service  are  rendered.  There  is  an  office  and  staff  dining  room  accommo- 
dating 125  employees,  where  a  substantial  course  dinner  is  served  at 

103 


noon.  A  factory  cafeteria  is  maintained,  serving  from  200  to  400 
people,  and  a  considerable  number  of  meals  are  delivered  on  trays  to 
manufacturing  departments. 

The  food  service  is  identical  in  all  cases  and  it  is  sold  at  the  lowest 
possible  prices,  the  average  cost  per  person  being  under  sixteen  cents. 
Meat  and  potatoes,  with  bread  and  butter,  for  instance,  cost  the  employee 
ten  cents;  ice  cream  cones,  three  cents;  milk  and  soup,  two  cents,  etc. 

AT  THE  OTHER  PLANTS  OF  THE  COMPANY 

All  of  the  other  Works  of  the  Company  have  ample  restaurant 
facilities,  but  those  described  are  typical  and  further  descripcion  would 
only  lead  to  repetition. 


104 


CHAPTER  VIII 
THE  APPRENTICESHIP  COURSES 

One  of  the  problems  facing  most  boys  of  16  who  are  trying  to  choose 
a  profession  is: 

ist.       If  I  start  work  now  I  cannot  get  a  good  education. 

2nd.     If  I  get  a  good  education  I  cannot  start  work  now. 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  can  do  both. 

Many  boys  feel  discouraged  because  they  cannot  go  to  college  for 
four  years.  It  is  a  mistake  for  them  to  think  that  such  an  education  is 
absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  get  along  well  in  the  world. 

Thomas  A.  Edison,  the  greatest  inventor  of  all  time,  and  a  man 
whose  inventions  and  engineering  work  represent  nearly  $8,000,000,000 
invested  capital  in  this  country,  never  went  to  college. 

Herbert  Spencer,  one  of  the  greatest  scientists  and  philosophers 
that  ever  lived,  was  a  practical  mechanical  engineer  and  inventor,  but 
he  was  not  a  college  man. 

Also,  the  following  world-famous  inventors,  engineers,  and  scientists 
were  not  college  men: 

Sir  Henry  Bessemer,  inventor  of  Bessemer  steel  process. 

Benjamin  Franklin. 

Robert  Fulton,  inventor  of  the  steamboat. 

Sir  Hiram  S.  Maxim,  explosives  and  firearms. 

Hudson  Maxim,  explosives  and  firearms. 

Henry  L.  Doherty,  power  plant  financier  and  manager. 

Michael  Faraday,  scientist  and  early  electrical  experimenter. 

Alessandro  Volta,  scientist  and  early  electrical  experimenter. 

Elihu  Thomson,  electrical  inventor. 

James  Watt,  steam  engine  inventor. 

James  Buchanan  Eads,  builder  of  the  great  bridge  at  St.  Louis. 

Isaac  M.  Singer,  sewing  machine  inventor. 

Elias  Howe,  sewing  machine  inventor. 

William  Herschel,  famous  scientist  and  astronomer. 

Thomas  H.  Huxley,  scientist. 

Samuel  Colt,  inventor  of  the  Colt  system  of  firearms. 

Henry  Ford,  intensive  manufacturer. 

Cyrus  Hall  McCormick,  inventor  of  agricultural  machinery. 

Edward  Weston,  electrical  instruments. 

Alfred  Bernard  Nobel,  inventor  of  dynamite. 

John  Tyndall,  scientist. 

Richard  J.  Catling,  inventor  of  the  Catling  gun. 

John  Ericsson,  inventor  of  torpedoes,  submarines,  and  monitors. 

In  this  chapter  we  will  describe  how  boys  may  obtain  a  four-year 
job  now,  and  at  the  end  of  the  term,  in  addition  to  having  received  a 
good  practical  education,  will  have  earned  approximately  $3,000.  What 
is  perhaps  more  important  still,  they  will  have  learned  three  important 
things  which  are  not  taught  in  college,  viz.:  First,  the  value  of  a  dollar; 


second,  the  independence  which  comes  from  earning  one's  own  living; 
and  third,  the  strength  of  character  developed  by  working  with  men. 

The  usual  college  student  does  not  receive  pay  while  he  is  being 
educated,  but  the  members  of  the  General  Electric  apprentice  courses 
are  regularly  paid  while  they  are  being  educated.  In  these  courses  the 
young  boys  of  America  have  had  created  for  them  a  superb  opportunity 
to  learn  to  do  by  doing,  and  at  the  same  time  learn  to  do  by  being  taught. 
It  is  not  generally  known  that  the  General  Electric  Company  has  spent 
on  its  apprentice  departments  in  six  factories,  east  and  west,  close  to 
$750,000  in  buildings,  machinery,  tools,  instruments,  class  rooms,  and 
laboratory  equipment,  where  boys  16  years  and  up  are  initiated  into 
the  wonderful  electrical  manufacturing  industry. 


140 
130 
120 
I/O 


100 


50 


20 


10 


5000 


6000 


0  1000  2000  3000  4000 

Annual   Earnings  in  Dollars. 

CURVE  SHOWING  PRESENT  EARNINGS  OF  G-E  APPRENTICE  GRADUATES 
FROM  LYNN  WORKS 

Boys  should  appreciate  that  what  they  learn  in  practical  work 
they  can  use  right  away,  and  at  the  end  of  the  four-year  course,  in  addition 
to  having  earned  between  $1200  and  $3200,  they  will  be  full-fledged 
journeymen,  possessed  of  a  trade.  The  present  graduates  not  only  are 
capable  of  earning,  but  are  actually  employed  in  positions  now  paying 
not  less  than  40  cents  an  hour — a  minimum  of  $3.20  per  day. 

We  will  describe  point  by  point  the  value  to  a  youth  of  establishing 
relations  with  a  great  company,  his  pay  and  his  play,  the  classroom 
instructions,  the  homework  which  is  expected  of  him,  the  practice 
afforded  him  by  which  he  learns  to  make  drawings  and  read  blue  prints, 
and  the  shop  work  which  he  does — the  great  variety  of  processes  he 
learns  to  carry  on,  upon  a  great  variety  of  machines,  and  with  a  great 
variety  of  tools. 

106 


SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

Of  the  66  boys  graduated  in  1916  from  the  apprentice  course  at  the 
Schenectady  Works,  eight  entered  the  service  of  the  U.  S.  Government 


Fig.  64.     CLASS  IN  MECHANICS,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 


Fig.  65.     INSTRUCTION  IN  MACHINE  WORK  AT  LYNN  WORKS 

and  50  are  still  working  for  the   General  Electric  Company  at  not  less 
than  40  cents — and  most  of  them   are  earning  from   50  to   55  cents — 


107 


per  hour,  and  working  nine  hours  a  day.  Think  what  it  means  to 
these  boys,  who  in  1912  had  no  trade  or  profession  and  only  a  grammar 
school  education,  and  yet  who  today  are  making  $4.50  a  day 


as 


Fig.  66.    CLASS  IN  MACHINE  DESIGN,  ERIE  WORKS 


Fig.  67.    CLASS  IN  MECHANICS,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

established  journeymen,  all-around  machinists,  special  tool  makers, 
expert  molders,  full-fledged  pattern  makers,  and  technical  draftsmen! 
Even  as  important  as  this  is,  a  further  very  significant  fact  is  that 

108 


they  are  in  line  for  promotion  to  positions  of  foremen,  bosses,  or  other 
executive  positions. 

The  record  of  all  the  young  men  who  were  graduated  at  Schenectady 
shows  that  65  per  cent  of  them  are  now  employed  by  the  General  Electric 
Company. 

GRADUATES  FROM  APPRENTICE  COURSES 

UP  TO  THE  FALL  OF  1917 

Schenectady 980 

Lynn 502 

Pittsfield 80 

Erie 28 

Fort  Wayne .' 8 

Total 1598 

COMPARISON  OF  EARNINGS 

The  following  table,  copied  from  a  trade  journal  published  just 
before  the  war,  shows  the  average  wages  in  cents  per  hour  in  various 
countries  in  Europe.  A  careful  study  of  this  will  prove  the  phenomenal 
opportunity  which  now  exists  in  the  General  ^Electric  Company  for 
boys  of  1 6  years  to  earn  from  50  to  55  cents  per  hour  and  to  become 
well-educated  technical  men  in  a  period  of  only  four  years. 

AVERAGE  WAGES  IN  CENTS  PER  HOUR 

Machinists 

Italy .' 8     to  13 

Switzerland • 12     to  17 

Germany: 

Bavaria 13      to  15 

Saxony 13      to  16 

Berlin 17.5  to  20 

Magdeburg 14.5  to  19 

Great  Britain 16     to  19 

Belgium 11.5  to  18 

On  piecework  these  rates  may  be  increased  30  to  50  per  cent. 

WHAT  FOUR  YEARS  WILL  DO 

As  someone  aptly  remarked:  "Four  years  is  a  long  while  for  a  boy 
to  look  forward  to,  but  it  is  a  mere  trifle  for  a  man  to  look  back  upon." 

How  true  this  is  will  be  emphasized  by  considering  the  results  of 
four  years  of  combined  work  and  instruction. 

LYNN  WORKS 

Of  the  502  graduates  from  the  Lynn  Works  apprentice  course,  the 
majority  of  them  are  still  known  to  their  instructors,  and  accurate 
records  are  kept  of  their  present  earnings. 

109 


Of  these  graduates: 

1  is  earning  $6,000  per  year. 

2  are  earning  $5,000  per  year. 

5  are  earning  between  $3,000  and  $4,000  per  year. 

15  are  earning  between  $2,000  and  $3,000  per  year. 

38  are  earning  between  $1,500  and  $2,000  per  year. 

137  are  earning  between  $1,200  and  $1,500  per  year. 

63  are  earning  between  $1,000  and  $1,200  per  year. 

2  are  earning  less  than  $1,000  per  year. 
239 — salary  unknown. 
502 

PITTSFIELD  WORKS 

An  investigation  of  the  82  graduates  from  the  apprentice  course 
from  that  factory  since  1911  discloses  the  fact  that  the  earnings  of  36 
who  are  working  there  vary  from  $1150  up  to  $1650  per  year. 

FORT  WAYNE  WORKS 

The  Fort  Wayne  apprentice  system  began  in  1913,  and  of  the  first 
eight  students  who  were  graduated  this  year,  one  is  with  the  United 
States  Navy  and  seven  are  employed  as  tool  makers  with  an  income  of 
between  $1300  and  $1400  per  year. 

ERIE  WORKS 

The  apprentice  system  at  the  Erie  Works  was  established  and 
standardized  about  1910,  and  has  graduated  28  young  men.  Of  these 
seven  have  left,  six  others  are  employed  in  the  United  States  Army  or 
Navy,  and  15  are  with  the  Company  earning  from  $4  to  $6  per  day. 

We  have  considered  only  the  wages  or  salaries  of  the  graduates, 
but  to  obtain  a  better  comprehension  of  the  standing  of  these  young 
men  the  positions  held  with  the  General  Electric  Company  should  be 
pointed  out. 

POSITIONS  HELD  BY  APPRENTICE  GRADUATES 

4  are  managers  or  superintendents.  2  are  designing  draftsmen. 
35  are  foremen.  2  are  gang  bosses. 

18  are  instructors.  I  is  a  supervisor. 

15  are  division  leaders  or  assistants.  I  is  in  charge  of  a  section. 

13  are  tool  designers.  I  is  a  designing  engineer. 

5  are  inspectors.  102  are    in    the    U.  S.    Government    service, 
4  are  commercial  engineers.  mostly    in    arsenals     and     navy    yards, 
3  are  assistant  engineers.  serving  as  skilled  mechanics. 

From  this  it  might  be  reasonably  concluded  that  these  young  men, 
who  but  a  few  years  previous  were  in  the  grammar  school,  are  now  well 
established  in  the  great  electrical  manufacturing  business  as  the  result 
of  their  industry  and  their  ability  to  grasp  the  opportunity  afforded 
them. 

no 


STATISTICS 

Professor    Robert   G.   Wall,  in   a    recent    address,  said:     "Imagine 
100  men,   all  25  years  old,  and   all  fully  equipped  mentally  and   phy- 


Fig.  68.     CLASS  IN  MECHANICAL  ENGINEERING,  ERIE  WORKS 


Fig.  69.     PATTERN  MAKER  APPRENTICES,  LYNN  WORKS 

sically.  Tell  them  to  seek  their  fortunes  in  the  world  and  report  back  to 
you  at  the  age  of  65.  In  40  years'  time  34  of  these  men  will  be  dead,  56 
will  be  dependent  upon  relatives  or  charitable  organizations,  five  will 

in 


still  be  earning  their  daily  \.  >ur  will  be  wealthy,  and  one  will  be 

rich.     These  are  facts,  statistics  ^mpiled  by  the  insurance  companies!" 

It  is  quite  probable  that  among  one  hundred  average  men,  many 

of  them  never  thoroughly  learn  any  one  trade;  some  of  them  probably 


Fig.  70.  PATTERN  MAKER  APPRENTICES,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 


Fig.  71.  MOLDER  APPRENTICES  IN  FOUNDRY,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

learn  a  trade  which  will  become  obsolete,  such  as  truck  driving,  a  "trade" 
which  is  being  displaced  by  the  automobile;  or  the  operation  of  steam 
pumps,  a  trade  being  rendered  obsolete  by  the  general  use  of  electricity. 


112 


Among  other  obsolescent  trades  are  horseshoeing,  the  trade  of  the 
cobbler,  and  those  connected  with  kerosene,  gasolene,  and  gas  lighting. 
It  is  dangerous  for  the  future  of  a  young  man  to  learn  a  trade  which  will 
practically  cease  to  exist  during  his  lifetime.  For  instance,  no  one  would 
think  of  learning  the  trade  of  grinding  wheat  by  hand  or  setting  type  by 
hand,  as  automatic  machines  do  this  kind  of  work  far  cheaper  and  better. 

If  the  horse,  the  steam  engine,  and  the  steam  locomotive  were  to 
vanish  from  the  face  of  the  earth  we  could  rest  assured  that  some  kind 
of  machinery  would  do  the  work  of  transportation  for  the  world — and 
it  is  not  dangerous  to  prophesy  that  machinery  in  one  form  or  another 
will  not  only  carry  on  our  transportation,  but  will  become  more  and 
more  used  in  industry,  commerce,  and  in  the  home.  For  this  reason  the 
boy  who  becomes  a  mechanic  or  engineer,  whether  electrical  or  me- 
chanical, can  rest  assured  that  that  trade  will  not  become  obsolete  during 
his  lifetime — nor  for  that  matter  during  the  lifetime  of  his  great-great 
grandchildren. 

For  example,  should  all  transportation  of  the  future  be  conducted 
by  airplane,  mechanics  would  be  needed  to  build  air  craft  by  the  million, 
and  probably  electrical  engineers  would  build  their  motors,  even  though 
the  power  would  be  supplied  to  them  by  wireless.  So  no  matter  how 
great  the  progress  the  world  may  make  along  these  lines,  a  young  man  is 
making  no  mistake  in  learning  the  mechanical  or  electrical  trade,  both 
of  which  will  be  needed  to  turn  the  wheels  of  industry  and  commerce 
in  the  future. 

Hence,  the  young  man  who  enters  the  electrical  profession  has  a 
better  opportunity  to  be  self-supporting  at  the  age  of  65  than  in 
almost  any  other  profession  imaginable,  because  America,  and,  in  fact, 
the  entire  world,  is  entering  upon  an  electrical  epoch  comparable  in 
significance  with  the  stone  age,  the  bronze  age,  the  iron  age,  and  the 
steam  age,  through  which  it  has  passed  successively  up  to  the  present. 
Therefore,  our  apprentice  graduates  need  have  little  fear  of  being 
classed  as  "dependent"  if  they  studiously  pursue  the  fascinating  work 
of  electrical  engineering  and  production. 

CLASSROOM  INSTRUCTION 

From  the  illustrations  it  will  be  seen  that  these  apprentice  courses 
include  classroom  instruction  and  practical  work  with  intricate  machine 
tools  in  modern  machine  shops,  foundries,  pattern  shops,  drafting 
rooms,  etc.  There  is  nothing  more  fascinating  to  the  growing  youth  than 
to  see  this  practical  work  link  up  with  the  theoretical  classroom  instruc- 
tion and  vice  versa.  There  is  no  joy  in  a  student's  life  greater  than  an 
appreciation  of  the  fact  that  what  he  learns  in  the  classroom  —  algebra, 
plane  and  solid  geometry,  logarithms,  trigonometry,  descriptive  geom- 

"3 


etry>  etc.,  is  of  direct  assistance  to  him  in  shop  practice.  Here  is  that 
union  between  the  work  of  the  head  and  the  work  of  the  hand  which 
makes  for  great  industrial  nations  a  place  in  the  commerce  and  industry 
of  the  world,  and  which,  moreover,  has  been  found  so  necessary  in  carry- 
ing on  the  great  war. 

HOME  WORK 

The  home  work  of  the  apprentice  pattern  maker  and  machinist 
consists  in  making  28  complete  mechanical  drawings,  including  lettering, 
dimensions,  and  details;  and  they  must  solve  mathematical  problems 
in  order  to  be  able  to  recite  in  the  classrooms.  The  draftsman  appren- 
tices have  more  home  work  than  either  of  the  two  mentioned,  as  they 
are  not  only  required  to  prepare  the  28  drawings,  but  have  to  go  into 
higher  mathematics,  which  is  necessary  for  the  calculations  of  design- 
ing engineers. 

The  apprentice  boys  in  the  molder's  course  may  be  considered  as 
the  highest  paid  of  all,  because  in  their  fourth  year  they  receive  the 
regular  journeyman's  wage,  which  at  the  present  time  is  50  cents  per  hour 
for  an  eight-hour  day.  There  is  no  home  work  in  this  course,  but  the 
classroom  work  is  after  working  hours,  which,  in  a  measure,  equalizes 
their  advantages  in  the  higher  rate  of  wages. 

PERSONAL  INSTRUCTION 

The  element  of  personal  instruction  in  these  apprentice  courses  is 
carefully  provided  for  in  three  ways: 

1.  Classroom  Instruction — The    classes    are    kept    small,  generally 
not  exceeding    20    in    number,    and    some   classes  have  less  than    12 
students.     Considerable  latitude  is  allowed  in  the  asking  of  questions 
and   the  explaining  of  possible  obscure  points.      In   some   courses  the 
classroom  instruction  is  ten  hours  in  every  5O-hour  week. 

2.  Personal  Attention  in  Training  Shops — For  all  beginners  in  the 
trades — molder,  pattern   maker,  draftsman,   and    machinist — there    are 
provided  special  training  shops  where  they  are  given  individual  instruc- 
tion under  competent  men  engaged  for  that  purpose. 

3.  Personal  Attention  in  the  Shops — As  the  students  become  more 
advanced  they  are  transferred  to  the  regular  shops  where  their  education 
is  continued  under  the  direction  of  the  foreman  of  that  department  and 
his  assistants. 

MASTERING  THE  USE  OF  TOOLS  AND  MACHINERY 

At  the  end  of  the  course  in  the  machinists  trade  the  boy,  who  slightly 
over  four  years  ago  was  in  the  grammar  school,  has  become  a  full-fledged 
journeyman  and  is  fully  competent  to  operate  the  machinery  found  in 

114 


the  ordinary  machine  shop,  such  as  drill  presses,  lathes,  planers,  shapers, 
boring   machines,   universal  grinders,  gear  cutters,   and   threading  and 


Fig.  72.    TRAINING  ROOM  FOR  MACHINIST  APPRENTICES,  FORT  WAYNE  WORKS 


Fig.  73.    TRAINING  ROOM  FOR  MACHINIST  APPRENTICES,  LYNN  WORKS 

milling  machines.    In  addition  to  these  machines,  the  boy  is  able  to  work 
successfully  on  the  bench  with  file,  hammer,  and  chisel. 


Equally  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  tools  of  their  trade  are  the  graduates 
from  the  molder's  course,  pattern  maker's  course,  draftsman's  course, 
and  blacksmith's  course.  Thus  men  are  trained  to  design  machinery 


Fig.  74.    TRAINING  ROOM  FOR  MACHINIST  AND  TOOL  MAKER  APPRENTICES 

ERIE  WORKS 


Fig.  75.     TRAINING  ROOM  FOR  MACHINIST  AND  TOOL  MAKER  APPRENTICES 
SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

and  perform  the  necessary  calculations;  others  to  make  the  patterns  and 
the  molds  in  the  foundry  and  pour  in  the  molten  metal,  to  machine 
the  castings  to  dimensions  accurate  within  one  thousandth  of  an  inch; 

116 


while  still  others  are  working  the  steam  hammers  for  making  forgings 
or  delicately  tempering  certain  parts,  or  making  tools  for  turning  out 
other  parts.  Such  is  the  complete  scope  of  the  training  of  apprentices  in 
electrical  manufacturing. 

We  will  omit  a  detailed  description  of  the  practical  shop  work  and 
the  classroom  instruction,  as  this  can  be  supplied  to  all  inquirers  in  the 
form  of  a  separate  illustrated  booklet  treating  the  different  courses  in 
detail  and  showing  photographs  of  the  work  which  the  apprentice  boys 
turn  out  before  their  graduation. 

SPECIAL  COURSES 

In  addition  to  the  apprentice  courses  mentioned  there  are,  at  the 
Lynn  Works,  other  training  courses  for  electrical  test  men,  technical 
clerks,  cost  accountants,  and  engineering  courses  of  a  special  nature. 
These  are  maintained  to  train  young  men  for  efficient  service  in  the 
various  branches  of  the  Company's  complex  activities,  or  in  power  and 
lighting  stations,  transportation  companies,  and  other  industrial  es- 
tablishments using  electrical  machinery  and  steam  apparatus. 

There  is  also  a  course  for  those  desiring  to  learn  the  business  of 
installing  and  erecting  electrical  and  steam  machinery.  These  latter 
apprentice  courses  last  but  three  years  and  a  complete  high  school 
education  is  necessary  in  order  to  be  eligible.  The  graduates  of  the 
electrical  testing  course  are  eligible  to  a  special  student  engineering 
course  of  two  years — amounting  practically  to  a  postgraduate  training. 

A  novelty  in  apprentice  training  has  been  introduced  at  Lynn, 
known  as  the  co-operative  course  with  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology,  in  which  the  students  alternate  three  months  with  the 
"Boston  Tech."  and  three  months  in  the  apprentice  shops.  This  course 
has  been  arranged  to  cover  a  period  of  two  years. 

At  the  Erie  Works,  which  specializes  in  the  manufacture  and  design 
of  electrical  railway  equipment,  considerable  stress  is  laid  in  the  appren- 
tice courses  on  railway  equipment;  and  in  the  mechanical  and  electrical 
classrooms,  in  addition  to  the  regular  equipment,  are  air  compressors, 
cylinders,  safety  valves,  motorman's  valves,  air  tanks,  strainers,  muf- 
flers, etc. — all  to  familiarize  the  apprentice  with  the  operation  and 
fundamental  principles  of  electric  passenger  and  freight  locomotives  and 
trolley  cars. 

At  the  Pittsfield  Works  a  new  course  of  a  postgraduate  nature  has 
recently  been  instituted  in  which  young  men  graduating  from  the 
regular  apprentice  courses  may  take  up  advanced  work  and  enter  the 
transformer  engineering  department  and  the  testing  department.  The 
advantage  of  this  graduate  course  is  that  it  covers  a  gap  which  formerly 
existed  between  the  apprentice  course  and  the  course  given  the  test  men. 

117 


With  the  former  system  it  was  impossible  for  an  ambitious  young  man, 
unless  a  college  graduate,  to  enter  the  engineering  department.  With 
the  new  system  he  is  enabled,  if  ambitious,  to  reach  any  position  in  the 
engineering  department.  This  work  brings  the  student  in  contact  with 
the  problems  associated  with  the  transmission  of  power  for  long  distances 
at  high  voltage. 

NUMBER  OF  APPRENTICES 

DECEMBER,  1917 

Lynn 335 

Schenectady 302 

Pittsfield 113 

Erie 85 

Fort  Wayne 82 

Harrison .  .  .20 


Total 


EQUIPMENT  AND  FACILITIES 

There  has  been  invested  in  buildings,  machinery,  tools  and  class- 
room equipment,  over  $650,000  to  provide  for  the  training  of  apprentices. 
This  investment  has  been  divided  among  the  six  different  factories 
named  in  the  table.  The  most  elaborate  facilities  are  found  at  the 
Lynn  Works,  where  the  machinists'  training  room  alone  occupies  3600 
sq.  ft.  in  one  building,  a  space  80  ft.  wide  by  450  ft.  long.  An  avenue 
block  on  New  York  City  is  only  200  ft.  long,  and  from  this  fact  and  the 
view  shown  in  Fig.  10,  a  conception  may  be  gained  of  the  importance 
which  this  work  occupies  in  the  General  Electric  organization.  This 
section  is  filled  with  intricate  machines  of  all  kinds,  many  of  them 
automatic,  and  all  with  individual  electric  motor  drive.  To  the  average 
citizen  the  operation  of  any  one  of  these  machines  would  be  considerably 
more  baffling  than  a  Chinese  puzzle,  and  yet  the  graduates  master  their 
every  detail,  and  soon  learn  to  turn  out  finished  machinery  with  only 
0.7  of  I  per  cent  spoilage.  They  learn  to  shape  cast  iron  and  wrought  iron, 
steel,  brass,  copper,  and  even  cotton  compressed  into  gear  blanks — all  of 
these  materials  are  milled,  turned,  cut,  ground,  threaded,  polished,  and 
scraped  by  boys  in  their  teens. 

At  Fort  Wayne,  where  the  apprentice  course  is  a  comparatively 
new  institution,  there  are  already  installed  14  lathes,  three  milling 
machines,  two  shapers,  two  grinders,  one  planer,  one  gear  cutter,  three 
bench  lathes,  five  drill  presses,  and  one  arbor  press. 

At  Erie  the  drawing  classroom  is  provided  with  machine  parts 
of  every  description,  which  are  cut  in  many  different  ways  showing 
cross-sectional  views.  There  is  also  a  complete  i-kw.  gasolene  gener- 
ating set. 

118 


The  mechanical  and  electrical  classrooms  are  equipped  with  a 
machine  board  arranged  with  levers,  pulleys,  scales  and  beams,  an 
electrical  table  with  switchboard  on  which  is  a  lamp  bank,  resistance 
coils,  voltmeters  and  ammeters,  rheostat,  and  a  mercury  arc  rectifier; 


Fig.  76.     MOLDER  APPRENTICES,  ERIE  WORKS 


Fig.  77.     APPRENTICE  LAYING  OUT  WORK  IN  SHOP 

and  a  mechanic's  table  with  apparatus  illustrating  an  inclined  plane,  a 
platform  scale,  etc.  All  electrical,  air,  water,  and  steam  apparatus  is 
connected  up,  with  all  pipes  painted  standard  colors. 


119 


The  Schenectady  Works  has  a  slightly  different  scheme  for  handling 
the  apprentice  students,  as  they  are  more  rapidly  sent  into  the  shops. 
All  classrooms  have  equipment  similar  to  that  which  is  found  in  the 
laboratories  of  many  technical  schools.  Hoists,  inclined  planes  for 


Fig.  78.     NOON  HOUR,  MACHINIST  APPRENTICE  DEPARTMENT 


Fig.  79.    MACHINIST  APPRENTICES  OPERATING  LARGE  BORING  MILLS 
SCHENECTADY  WORKS 

demonstrating  the  principles  of  friction,  weighted  cords  for  studying 
the  principle  of  the  resolution  of  forces,  sections  of  steam  engines  for 
studying  valve  systems — all  these  are  part  of  the  classroom  equipment. 

120 


ENVIRONMENT 

There  is  much  to  be  said  regarding  the  personal  life  of  the  boys  in  the 
apprentice  courses,  and  the  character  of  the  cities  in  which  the  facfories 
are  located. 

Schenectady,  a  city  of  97,000  population,  has  no  "red  light  district." 
On  the  contrary,  it  has  plenty  of  good  entertainment  which  is  more 
available  here  than  in  larger  cities.  For  instance,  the  American  Institute 
of  Electrical  Engineers  has  meetings  twice  a  month  which  are  addressed  by 
prominent  men  such  as  Simon  Lake  the  submarine  inventor,  Samuel  Insull, 
Alex  Dow,  W.  L.  R.  Emmet,  Chas.  P.  Steinmetz,  and  other  national 
authorities  on  electrical  and  mechanical  subjects.  There  is  a  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
Apprentice  Alumni  Association,  Athletic  Association,  Mutual  Benefit 
Association,  a  band  and  other  musical  organizations,  and  social  opportun- 
ities exclusively  for  General  Electric  Company  employees.  The  appren- 
tices are  eligible  and  welcome  to  most  of  the  entertainments  arranged. 

Lynn,  Mass.,  has  a  population  of  102,000  and  is  a  "dry"  city.  A 
rifle  club,  bowling  club,  coin  and  stamp  club,  as  well  as  the  General 
Electric  Apprentice  Fraternity,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Apprentice  Alumni 
Association  and  band — all  afford  ample  opportunities  for  social  life 
among  the  young  men. 

Pittsfield,  Mass.,  has  a  population  of  38,000  and  is  located  in  the 
Berkshire  Mountains.  The  climate  is  ideal.  Various  entertainments  are 
provided  by  the  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  such  as  amateur  theatricals, 
field  days,  picnics,  electrical  fairs,  etc. 

Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  has  a  population  of  90,000  and  is  approximately 
100  miles  from  Chicago,  111.,  and  Detroit,  Mich. 

Erie,  Pa.,  is  located  on  Lake  Erie  and  has  a  population  of  75,000. 
Both  Erie  and  Fort  Wayne  apprentices  have  a  Club,  an  Alumni  Associa- 
tion, and  an  annual  picnic.  All  of  the  Clubs  mentioned  above  are  com- 
posed exclusively  of  General  Electric  Company  men. 

Thus,  in  these  five  cities,  distributed  along  a  distance  of  880  miles 
in  almost  a  straight  line,  there  are  opportunities  for  boys  in  the  Middle 
West,  along  the  Atlantic  Seaboard,  and  in  New  England  to.  work  their 
way  through  these  educational  courses  and  yet  not  go  too  far  from  home. 
Lynn  is  practically  on  salt  water;  Pittsfield  is  in  the  Berkshire  Mountains; 
Schenectady,  amid  the  hills  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  lies  close  to  the 
beautiful  Hudson  River  and  between  the  Catskill  and  Adriondack 
Mountains;  while  the  city  of  Erie  is  situated  on  Lake  Erie,  and  Fort 
Wayne  is  not  far  from  Lake  Michigan. 

In  all  of  the  Works  one  or  more  complete  libraries  are  available  to 
the  apprentices.  Opportunity  for  baseball  and  boating  in  summer, 
football  in  the  fall,  skating  and  skiing  in  the  winter,  and  track  meets  in 
the  spring — all  are  open  to  all  apprentices  with  athletic  leanings. 


CHAPTER  IX 
GENERAL  EDUCATIONAL  FACILITIES 

In  the  preceding  chapter  was  described  the  Apprentice  Course  of  the 
General  Electric  Company  for  boys  of  sixteen  years  and  older  having 
only  a  grammar  school  education.  In  the  chapter  following  this,  a 
complete  description  will  be  given  of  the  Student  Engineers'  Course  for 
technical  college  graduates.  But  between  the  elementary  apprentice 
course  and  the  advanced  student  engineers'  course  there  exists  an 
intermediate  field  in  which  are  many  educational  facilities,  some  of  them 
novel  and  all  of  them  important.  This  chapter  outlines  the  various 
departmental,  vocational,  and. night  schools,  and  the  college  courses, 
lectures,  publications  and  libraries  constituting  these  intermediate  or 
miscellaneous  educational  facilities  that  are  open  to  employees  of  the 
General  Electric  Company. 

That  the  school  facilities  are  being  utilized  is  evidenced  by  the 
record  of  the  number  of  students  registered  in  Schenectady  during  the 
school  year  1917-18. 

Testing  Department  Schools 65 

Switchboard  Department  Schools 49 

Evening  Vocational  Schools 318 

Municipal  Night  Schools 877 

Union  College  Evening  Classes 142 

Comptometer  School 30 

Total 1481 

DEPARTMENTAL  SCHOOLS 

To  boys  from  1 8  to  20  years  of  age  who  have  a  high  school  education 
or  equivalent  training,  but  who  are  unable  to  go  to  college,  the  General 
Electric  Company  offers  two  specialized  educational  courses  in  depart- 
mental schools. 

TESTING  DEPARTMENT  SCHOOL 

The  largest  departmental  school  is  the  Testing  Department  where, 
at  the  Schenectady  Works,  55  boys  are  now  in  attendance.  In  this 
two-year  course  boys  can  earn  $1350  while  being  taught,  if  they  attend 
regularly  and  are  always  on  time. 

Six  months  after  the  students  enter  the  course  they  are  assisting  in 
measuring  electricity  a  thousand  times  more  accurately  than  a  coal 

122 


dealer  weighs  coal,  a  hundred  times  more  accurately  than  a  grocer 
weighs  sugar,  and  ten  times  more  accurately  than  a  jeweler  weighs 
diamonds.  This  skill  and  precision,  this  familiarity  with  the  tools  of  the 
electrical  engineer,  is  the  beginning  of  the  boys'  electrical  education. 


•ig.  80.     LEARNING  TO  USE  DELICATE  ELECTRICAL  INSTRUMENTS 


Fig.  81.     CALIBRATING  AMMETERS  AND  VOLTMETERS 

It    is    acquired    in   the    Standardizing   Laboratory    amid    agreeable 
surroundings. 


123 


In  this  laboratory  there  are  8500  electrical  instruments  of  500 
different  types  and  capacities,  and  every  one  is  kept  accurate  within  a 
fraction  of  I  per  cent.  The  students  learn  how  to  select  the  proper 
instruments  for  various  uses;  how  to  calibrate,  adjust,  and  repair  them; 


Fig.  82.     DETERMINING  RATIO  AND  PHASE  ANGLE  OF  INSTRUMENT  TRANSFORMERS 


Fig.  83.     COMMERCIAL  TEST  OF  DIRECT-CURRENT  MACHINES 

how  to  use  them  to  measure  electrical  quantities;  and  during  the  six 
months  that  they  are  being  instructed  in  this  work  they  are  being 
paid. 


124 


CLASSROOM  STUDIES 

The  course  consists  partly  of  work  in  the  shop  where  the  boys  are 
under  individual  instructors,  and  partly  of  classroom  instruction  of 
one  hour  or  more  each  week.  These  classes  include  lectures  on  direct- 
and  alternating-current  theory,  and  instruction  in  the  use  of  machines 
and  instruments  for  testing  and  the  slide  rule  for  rapid  engineering 
calculations. 

Besides  the  classes  which  are  attended  on  the  Company's  time,  the 
students  are  urged  to  attend  night  school,  the  vocational  schools,  or  the 
Union  College  courses,  all  of  which  are  described  later  in  this  chapter. 
Fifty  out  of  65  of  these  students  attend  one  or  more  of  the  night 
courses. 

The  boys  spend  50  hours  a  week  in  the  shops,  attend  classroom 
one  hour  a  week,  and  are  paid  for  51  hours  per  week.  For  every 
week  in  which  their  time  record  is  perfect  they  are  paid  for  52  hours, 
that  is,  a  bonus  of  one  hour's  extra  pay. 

In  addition  to  these  classes  held  during  business  hours,  the  boys 
are  taken  on  inspection  trips  through  the  shops,  examinations  are  held 
to  test  their  powers  of  memory,  observation,  and  reasoning,  and  special 
care  is  taken  to  guide  their  reading  in  proper  channels  and  to  keep  them 
interested  in  good  literature  and  engineering  books. 

For  the  classroom  work  there  are  two  instructors,  and  two  instructors 
each  for  the  work  in  the  shops  and  in  the  Standardizing  Laboratory. 

SHOP  TRAINING 

In  the  armature  department  the  students  are  not  required  to  wind 
armatures  or  field  coils,  nor  to  perform  any  of  the  processes  of  manu- 
facture; they  are  put  here  solely  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  various  methods  of  design,  construction,  and  manufacture  in  this 
department. 

Attention  is  invited  here  to  the  difference  between  the  apprentice 
course  and  this  departmental  school.  While  an  apprentice  is  working 
upon  a  machine  tool  as  a  machinist,  these  students  are  studying  and 
testing  the  winding  of  armatures,  learning  the  theory  of  electric  motors 
and  dynamos,  and  are  grasping  far  more  knowledge  regarding  electricity 
per  se  than  the  apprentice  does  in  the  same  length  of  time.  These  students 
test  the  insulation  and  measure  the  resistance  of  field  spools,  stator  coils, 
motor  rotors,  and  stators  of  both  alternating-  and  direct-current  machines 
of  various  types.  This  portion  of  their  training  is  conducted  in  many 
different  buildings,  and  there  is  always  some  new  illustration  in  the 
shop  of  what  has  previously  been  discussed  in  the  classroom.  This  adds 
interest  to  the  work  and  assists  the  students  to  a  clearer  comprehension 
of  what  electricity  will  do. 


SHOP  INSTRUCTIONS  AND  OBSERVATIONS 

An  important  feature  of  this  shop  training  is  the  method  used  to 
train  the  students'  powers  of  observation  and  develop  their  memory. 
A  few  of  the  examination  questions,  selected  at  random  from  the  com- 
plete list,  are  given  below.  It  would  be  an  interesting  experiment  to 
find  out  how  many  of  these  questions  a  college  man  could  answer  on  the 
day  of  his  graduation.  Each  graduate  of  the  Testing  Department's 
school  must  know  how  to  answer  over  100  of  these  questions  correctly, 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  subjects  is  obtained  not  only  in  the  classroom 
from  textbooks  and  blackboard  demonstrations,  but  from  the  actual 
operation  of  the  machine  itself,  supplemented  by  information  imparted 
to  him  personally  by  instructors  in  the  shops. 

SOME  EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  REGARDING  DIRECT-CURRENT 

MOTOR  FIELDS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  shunt  fields?    Series  fields?    Interpole  fields? 
Compensated  fields?    Accumulative  fields?    Differential  fields? 

2.  What  is  a  ventilated  field  spool? 

3.  Why  is   cast   iron,  cast   steel,   or  laminated  structure  used  in 
different  frames? 

4.  Why  are  shims  used  between  pole  pieces  and  frames? 

5.  Why  is  a  pole  piece  usually  of  laminated  iron? 

SOME  EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS  REGARDING  ARMATURES 
AND  COMMUTATORS 

1.  What  kind  of  material  is  used  in  armature  cores? 

2.  Why  is  it  not  solid  casting  or  forging? 

3.  How  is  the  core   assembled?     What  operations   are  necessary 
before  ready  to  receive  coils? 

4.  Why  do  some  armatures  have  spider  construction? 

5.  Why  are  holes  or  ducts  provided:     At  what  peripheral  speed 
do  armatures  run? 

These  questions  only  suggest  how  the  boys  can  make  the  most  of 
their  opportunities  for  obtaining  knowledge  of  electrical  designing  and 
construction  details.  It  is  expected  that  they  will  become  familiar  with 
the  kinds  of  material  used,  and  how  these  are  made  up  ready  for  assembly. 
They  are  encouraged  to  learn  how  the  materials  are  treated  and  why, 
how  they  are  assembled  in  motors,  generators,  and  synchronous  con- 
verters. The  students  must  be  familiar  with  the  forming  of  armature 
and  field  coils;  they  must  know  how  these  are  taped,  insulated  and 
assembled  in  the  machines,  and  how  the  machines  are  connected  up  with 
the  electrical  circuits  from  the  power  stations. 

126 


All  these  questions  are  practical,  and  the  boys  are  provided  ample 
time  and  opportunity — one  might  say  as  privileged  characters — to  ask 
any  questions  they  desire  on  how  machines  are  constructed  and  why. 

"SHOOTING  TROUBLE" 

The  technical  term  for  discovering  defects  is  "shooting  trouble." 
A  trouble  shooter  is  a  valuable  man  in  an  engineering  organization,  be 
it  a  telephone,  lighting,  or  traction  company,  or  a  large  industrial  plant. 
A  prominent  commercial  engineer  once  gained  an  important  customer 


Fig.  84.    MEASURING  RESISTANCE  OF  INDUCTION  MOTORS 

for  his  Company  because  he  was  able  to  discover  why  some  of  the 
factory  machinery  would  not  work,  and  pointed  out  to  the  operating 
man  the  slight  readjustment  that  would  restore  the  machinery  to  full 
operation.  There  is  no  telling  when  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  interior 
construction  and  working  of  electrical  machinery  will  solve  some  problem 
in  an  emergency  and  help  to  establish  a  man's  reputation  as  a  thorough- 
going electrical  expert. 

During  all  this  period  the  classroom  shows  the  "why"  of  the  shop- 
work,  and  the  shopwork  shows  the  utility  of  the  classroom  theory. 
For  this  shopwork  on  armatures,  motors,  commutators,  fields,  etc.,  a 
year  is  considered  sufficient. 

127 


SAFEGUARDING  ELECTRICAL  MACHINERY 

The  remaining  six  months  of  the  course  are  spent  partly  in  testing 
safeguarding  devices  which  automatically  cut  off  the  electric  power  from 
machinery  that  is  overloaded  or  badly  handled,  and  partly  in  the  switch- 
board department  learning  how  electricity  is  distributed  and  controlled. 
Engineers  harness  the  waterfalls  and  make  them  generate  electricity; 
but  it  is  then  necessary  for  other  engineers  to  harness  the  electricity 
so  that  it  can  be  transformed,  transmitted,  distributed,  and  controlled  to 
work  in  the  service  of  mankind. 


Fig.  85.     LEARNING  HOW  TO  TEST  A  MOTOR  ARMATURE 

Another  feature  of  the  classroom  work  is  the  explanation  of  the 
workings  of  electric  circuits.  The  boys  are  taught  how  direct  and  alter- 
nating current  passes  through  the  wires;  how  electricity  may  be  sent  in 
one  direction  to  one  machine  where  it  will  do  one  duty;  and  how,  by  the 
mere  turning  of  a  switch,  it  can  be  sent  hundreds  of  miles  in  another 
direction  to  do  duty  on  another  kind  of  machine.  Thus  the  boys  obtain 
what  may  be  called  a  practical  working  knowledge  of  electricity  and 
electrical  machines,  and  the  general  principles  of  safeguarding  and 
controlling  that  wonderful  power  with  which  we  can  accomplish  so  much 
for  mankind. 

128 


HIGH  VOLTAGE  WORK 

In  testing  insulation  pressures  as  high  as  100,000  volts  are  finally 
employed  by  these  boys,  and  the  safety  precautions  connected  with  this 
work  are  thoroughly  learned  through  personal  instruction  and  experience. 

ROUTINE  TEST 

After  this  two  years'  course  has  been  completed,  the  boys  are 
started  as  routine  test  men  for  six  months.  Regular  and  prompt  attend- 


Fig.  86.     INSTRUCTION  IN  TESTING  ROTOR  OF  ALTERNATOR 

ance  during  this  additional  period  increases  the  high  school  graduate's 
total  earnings  to  #1765 — all  within  two  and  one  half  years  after  his 
start  in  the  electrical  industry! 

In  the  routine  test  the  boys  are  taught  how  to  wire  up  machinery 
to  the  controllers  and  the  line,  and  to  test  such  apparatus  as  compen- 
sators and  controllers  for  steel  mill  motors  and  mine  hoists;  how  to  set 
up  and,  operate  the  controlling  devices  of  electric  trains,  as  well  as  of 
machines  for  transforming  one  kind  of  electricity  into  another  entirely 
different  kind  of  electricity.  During  this  advanced  six  months'  course 

129 


the  weekly  classroom  work  is  continued  as  before.  The  operation  of 
machines  is  demonstrated  in  test,  and  then  inspection  trips  are  taken 
to  show  the  actual  performance  in  service  of  the  motors,  controllers, 
and  the  various  devices  which  have  been  studied  and  tested  in  the 
preceding  months. 

After  this  schooling,  these  young  men  are  given  a  final  examination 
and  those  who  pass  become  regular  test  men  at  increased  pay.  After  an 
additional  year  of  testing,  of  a  more  advanced  and  expert  order,  they  are 
then  ready  for  work  in  the  engineering  or  commercial  departments,  or 
for  construction  on  the  road,  or  for  engineering  or  commercial  work  in 
the  various  district  offices  of  the  Company  in  the  United  States  and 
abroad. 

SWITCHBOARD  DEPARTMENT  SCHOOL 

Another  school  is  conducted  for  the  young  men  of  the  testing  and 
inspection  sections  of  the  Switchboard  Department,  and  is  called  the 
Instruction  Course  for  Switchboard  Department  Test  Men.  Those 
who  have  been  accepted  for  this  course,  but  who  have  not  actually  been 
graduated  from  high  school,  are  expected  to  attend  some  of  the  night 
schools  mentioned  later  in  order  to  get  instruction  in  the  indispensable 
preparatory  mathematics. 

On  January  i,  1918,  40  young  men  were  registered  in  this  instruc- 
tion course.  The  curriculum  is  quite  rigid  and  provides  for  two  hours 
each  week  of  classroom  instruction  on  the  Company's  time.  Every 
student  must  prepare  the  work  required  and  master  the  subjects  given. 
If  a  man  misses  two  or  more  lectures  in  succession  without  a  satisfactory 
excuse,  he  will  be  automatically  dropped  from  the  rolls.  If  he  is  absent 
from  four  or  more  classroom  sessions  during  the  entire  course,  he  must 
pass  a  special  examination  on  the  work  missed.  The  engineers  in  charge 
of  these  classes,  however,  are  available  an  extra  hour  every  week  for 
giving  advice,  answering  questions,  and  consulting  with  the  students. 

In  the  first  six  months  of  classroom  work  the  students  are  given 
simple  problems  teaching  the  elements  and  applications  of  electricity, 
and  the  elements  of  trigonometry.  After  passing  an  examination  on 
this  work,  they  enter  a  second  six  months'  class  dealing  with  problems  of 
electrical  measurements,  switchboard  design  and  mechanisms,  and 
applications  of  alternating  current. 

After  passing  examination  on  these  subjects  the  students  enter  a 
third  class,  likewise  of  six  months,  and  take  up  the  study  of  switchboard 
materials,  methods  of  machining,  specifications,  stocks,  business  organi- 
zation, the  essentials  of  economics  and  the  fundamentals  of  salesmanship. 
Following  graduation  from  this  third  class,  they  are  prepared  to  enter 
the  work  of  the  Switchboard  Department.  Any  student  who  after  two 

130 


years  has  not  shown  particular  aptitude  or  liking  for  switchboard  work 
will,  on  request,  be  shifted  to  the  routine  test  in  the  Testing  Department. 

The  salaries  earned  by  the  students  in  this  course,  and  the  number 
of  hours  which  they  work  and  attend  classes,  are  identical  with  the 
schedule  of  the  Testing  Department's  preparatory  school. 

Of  course,  it  is  evident  that  neither  of  these  courses  begins  to  give 
the  equivalent  of  a  college  education  with  its  training  in  advanced 
mathematics,  mechanics,  languages,  hydraulics,  chemistry,  and 
cultural  studies;  but  after  having  satisfactorily  completed  the  work 
laid  out,  these  students  will  have  obtained  a  practical  working  knowledge 
of  electricity  and  electrical  apparatus,  comparable  probably  to  that  of  a 
man  entering  his  senior  year  in  the  average  technical  college. 

Everything  else  being  equal,  the  high  school  graduate  with  aptitude 
for  mathematics  will  ultimately  be  given  greater  responsibilities  and 
will  earn  more  in  the  electrical  industry  than  will  those  who  lack  the 
high  school  training.  Although  some  apprentices,  exceptional  men,  have 
made  extraordinary  headway,  the  average  high  school  man  will  fare 
better  than  the  average  apprentice.  The  young  men  who  creditably 
complete  these  two  courses  and  continue  their  studies  should  rise  to 
positions  as  designing,  construction,  and  commercial  engineers,  fre- 
quently with  apprentice  graduates  working  under  their  direction.  The 
mathematics  which  the  students  obtain  in  the  high  school  becomes  a 
real  asset  in  future  years. 

To  sum  up:  The  young  men  learn  to  handle  expertly  a  great  variety 
of  electrical  instruments  and  apparatus,  and  understand  their  appli- 
cations in  industry;  they  learn  in  classes  the  theory  of  electricity;  and 
at  all  times  they  are  in  touch  with  a  great  organization  where  they  gain 
first-hand  knowledge  of  mechanical  and  electrical  engineering  and 
manufacturing  processes. 

Other  classes  for  high  school  graduates  are  conducted  in  the  Lynn, 
Erie,  Fort  Wayne,  and  Pittsfield  Works.  Young  men  with  a  complete 
high  school  education  who  have  an  aptitude  for  technical  work,  may 
obtain  training  which  will  fit  them  to  become  competent  electrical  and 
steam  turbine  testers,  manufacturing  and  electrical  engineers,  or  cost 
accountants.  The  classroom  education  is  of  an  advanced  character,  and 
deals  with  advanced  algebra,  plane  trigonometry,  analytic  geometry, 
mechanics  and  mechanisms,  mechanics  of  material,  magnetism  and 
electricity,  machine  and  dynamo  design,  heat  and  heat  engines, 
chemistry  and  metallurgy,  mechanical  drawing,  and  business  English. 

After  a  two  months'  trial  period,  during  which  they  receive  regular 
compensation,  those  students  are  selected  who  have  the  requisite  charac- 
teristics. 


Training  courses  for  electrical  test  men,  technical  clerks,  and  cost 
accountants  require  three  years,  and  afford  extended  experience  in 
assembling  various  classes  of  apparatus.  Where  practicable,  a  short 
assignment  in  the  cost  and  production  departments  is  included. 

These  courses  are  maintained  to  train  young  men  for  efficient  service 
in  the  various  branches  of  the  Company's  complex  activities,  or  in  power 
and  lighting  stations,  transportation  companies,  and  other  industrial 
establishments  using  electrical  machinery  and  steam  apparatus;  or  for 
those  desiring  to  learn  the  business  of  installing  and  erecting  electrical 
and  steam  machinery. 

The  advantage  of  these  courses  is  that  they  cover  a  gap  which 
formerly  existed  between  the  apprentice  course  and  the  test  course 
given  to  technical  college  graduates. 

GENERAL  EDUCATIONAL  FACILITIES 

The  vocational  schools  offer  schooling  in  General  Electric  methods. 
They  are  open  to  all  with  a  good  education.  The  vocational  schools  at 
Schenectady  are  conducted  inside  the  Works,  are  exclusively  for  em- 
ployees, and  convene  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  working  day. 
They  are  under  the  joint  jurisdiction  of  the  Company  and  the  City 
Board  of  Education.  The  tuition  and  use  of  the  books  cost  nothing  if 
the  students  attend  80  per  cent  of  the  sessions. 

The  courses  of  study  offered  in  the  Schenectady  vocational  schools 
are  as  follows: 

Business  Arithmetic  Accountancy  and  Business  Administration 

English  Touch  Typewriting 

Commercial  Law  Stenography 

Elementary  Bookkeeping  Phonograph  Dictation 
Short  Course  in  Accountancy 

Last  year  217  students  enrolled,  of  whom  27  were  girls.  That  the 
students  meant  business  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  two  thirds  of  last 
year's  students  attended  80  per  cent  or  more  of  the  sessions,  and  90 
students  satisfactorily  passed  in  the  subjects  studied.  The  average  age 
of  the  students  registered  was  25  years,  although  the  minimum  age  limit 
is  16  years.  Nine  courses  were  offered  in  1917-1918,  and  a  total  of  318 
employees  enrolled. 

Further  information  relative  to  these  courses — the  subjects  treated, 
books  furnished,  time  and  grade  required — is  given  in  a  booklet  published 
annually. 

The  Fort  Wayne  Works  have  almost  parallel  courses  in  their 
evening  classes,  and  in  addition  have  courses  in  factory  routine  and  in 
English  exclusively  for  girls.  The  Indiana  University  has  an  extension 
at  Fort  Wayne,  so  that  any  employee  who  desires  can  take  a  course  in 
mathematics,  economics,  foreign  languages,  and  advanced  English. 

132 


MUNICIPAL  NIGHT  SCHOOLS 

Still  other  classes,  to  all  of  which  General  Electric  employees  are 
eligible,  are  held  in  the  evening  at  three  Schenectady  Schools  and  at  the 
High  School.  Tuition  and  use  of  books  in  all  of  these  courses  are  free  of 
charge  to  all  students.  Partly  because  of  encouragement  from  the 
Company,  877  employees  enrolled — two  thirds  of  some  of  the  classes 
being  composed  of  General  Electric  employees. 


Fig.  87.     SWITCHBOARD  DEPARTMENT  LECTURE 

The  elementary  courses  are  for  boys  between  the  ages  of  14  and  16 
years  who,  under  the  Compulsory  Education  School  Law,  must  attend 
50  nights  a  year.  English,  spelling,  civics,  history,  and  arithmetic  are 
studied  here. 

The  High  School  classes  are  held  two  to  four  nights  a  week  and 
provide  the  following  courses: 

Spanish 

French 

German 

Algebra 

Plane  and  Solid  Geometry 

Trigonometry 

Mechanics 


Mechanical  Drawing 
Architectural  Drawing 
Shop  Mathematics 
United  States  History 


Applied  Electricity 
Electrical  Engineering 
Chemistry 


(For  girls  only): 
Cooking 
Dressmaking 
Millinery 
Physical  Training 


Also  at  the  High  School  there  is  a  three-year  commercial  course, 
meeting  four  evenings  a  week,  which  is  the  equal  of  the  average  night 
business  college,  and  covers  bookkeeping,  business  arithmetic,  English, 
business  writing,  shorthand,  and  typewriting. 


COLLEGE  COURSES 
UNION  COLLEGE 

In  the  1917-1918  college  year,  85  per  cent  of  the  total  number  of 
evening  students  were  General  Electric  employees — 142  having  enrolled. 

Students  are  here  afforded  the  opportunity  of  studying  under 
instructors  and  professors  in  a  real  college  atmosphere  and  learn  higher 
mathematics,  physics,  chemistry,  elementary  electricity,  electrical 
engineering,  Spanish,  French,  and  advanced  English. 


Fig.  88.     TESTING  SWITCHBOARD  CIRCUIT  BREAKERS  AND  RELAYS 

The  Company  refunds  half  of  the  tuition  fees  of  those  employees 
whose  attendance  record  is  80  per  cent. 

Union  College,  established  in  1795,  *s  ric^  m  traditions,  and  its 
standing  among  universities  is  of  the  highest  order. 

Attractive  booklets  describing  these  Union  College  courses  are 
published  annually  by  the  General  Electric  Company  and  circulated 
among  the  employees. 

UNIVERSITY  EXTENSION  COURSE  AT  LYNN 

At  the  Lynn  Works  a  university  extension  course  is  conducted 
under  the  direction  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Education. 
The  Company  encourages  the  employees  to  enroll  in  these  courses,  which 
are  advertised  within  the  Works.  The  subjects  offered  are  practical 
electricity,  practical  applied  mathematics,  commercial  correspondence, 
and  gas  and  oil  engines. 


Evening  classes  are  conducted  at  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of 
Technology,  Boston  University  and  Wentworth  Institute  and  other 
schools  in  Boston,  which  are  attended  by  employees  of  the  General 
Electric  Works  at  Lynn,  seventeen  miles  distant. 

EVENING  WORK  AT  PITTSFIELD 

The  Pittsfield  Works  conducts  a  series  of  evening  classes  attended 
by  over  ico  employees.  They  embrace  instruction  in  algebra,  geometry, 
elementary  drawing,  advanced  electricity,  advanced  mathematics, 


Fig.  89.     STUDYING  ILLUMINATION  AT  PITTSFIELD  WORKS 

advanced    drawing,    jig    and    tool   design,    elementary   electricity,    me- 
chanics, English,  and  a  course  in  Spanish. 

ADVANCED  ELECTRICITY  AT  PITTSFIELD 

From  the  class  in  advanced  electricity  the  past  year,  two  men  were 
promoted  to  testing  work — work  formerly  done  by  college  men — and  a 
third  man  from  the  evening  classes  was  selected  as  an  assistant  to  the 
head  of  the  educational  department. 

It  will  be  noted  from  the  accompanying  photographs  that  the 
equipment  provided  for  the  students'  laboratory  work  is  similar  to  that 
used  in  the  regular  laboratory  and  in  testing  work.  Some  trigonometry, 
analytical  geometry,  and  the  first  principles  of  calculus  are  taught  in  the 
advanced  electricity  course;  and  altogether  a  very  good  idea  of  alternating 
current  theory  is  obtained. 


As  an  illustration:  In  the  Engineering  Department  is  a  young  man 
who  in  three  years'  time  has  passed  from  office  boy  to  junior  engineer. 
During  this  time  he  moved  about  from  position  to  position  in  the  shop, 
where  he  engaged  in  regular  factory  operations  and  at  the  same  time 
took  advantage  of  all  the  evening  classes  in  electricity  and  mathematics. 

At  present  over  100  students  are  enrolled  in  the  evening  technical 
classes — in  fact,  about  the  same  number  of  students  as  are  enrolled  in 
the  apprentice  courses.  A  fee  of  $5  is  charged  for  these  classes,  but  the 
fee  is  refunded  with  a  passing  mark  of  75  per  cent. 


Fig.  90.     MECHANICAL  DRAWING  CLASS 

LECTURES 
DEPARTMENTAL  LECTURES 

Primarily  for  their  technical  and  commercial  educational  value,  the 
departmental  lecture  system  was  introduced  in  the  various  factories 
and  district  offices;  and  a  happy  by-product  of  these  lectures  has  been 
their  effect  on  the  esprit  de  corps.  Many  of  these  lectures  are  of  such 
importance  and  value  that  they  are  reprinted  for  the  confidential  in- 
formation of  the  General  Electric  engineers  and  the  commercial  men 
throughout  the  world.  Department  managers,  section  heads,  and 
prominent  men  from  other  departments  deliver  these  lectures. 

The  attendance  at  the  Switchboard  Departments'  lectures  is  drawn 
from  the  design'ng,  requisition,  commercial,  and  production  divisions 
of  the  office  force,  and  from  the  foremen  and  assistant  foremen  of  the 
factory  force.  The  lectures  describe  the  details  of  the  Company's  organi- 
zation, the  relation  of  the  Switchboard  Department  to  the  organization, 

136 


and  the  manufacture,  application,  and  operation  of  the  equipment 
manufactured  by  the  department  or  controlled  by  switchboards. 

Lectures  on  strictly  engineering  subjects  are  delivered  once  a  week 
for  six  months  to  the  newly  employed  engineers,  most  of  whom  are 
college  graduates  and  have  been  through  the  test  course. 

All  members  of  the  Power  and  Mining  Engineering  Department 
are  expected  to  attend  the  weekly  lectures  of  the  department,  which 
cover  such  subjects  as  production,  patents,  advertising,  sugar  mills, 
voltage  regulators,  transformers,  rotary  converters,  lightning  arresters, 
high  tension  bushings,  and  electric  furnaces. 

The  Research  Laboratory  lecture  is  held  weekly  through  the  winter. 
It  is  intended  primarily  for  employees  of  the  department,  but  other 
employees  are  welcome.  The  purpose  of  the  lectures  is  to  acquaint  all 
members  of  the  laboratory  with  what  is  being  done  in  the  field  of  research, 
both  within  and  without  the  laboratory.  They  embrace  such  subjects  as: 
The  Second  Law  of  Thermodynamics;  The  Theory  of  Heterogeneous 
Reactions;  Spectrum  Series;  Over-voltage;  Radium  Work  of  the  Bureau 
of  Mines;  Magnetic  Amplifier  for  Radiotelephony;  Mechanism  of  Cell 
Permeability;  X-ray  and  Cancer;  X-ray  Spectra;  Permeability  and  Cell 
Life;  (Constitution  of  Rubber  Molecule;  Absolute  Zero;  Liquefaction  of 
Air  and  Separation  of  Constituents;  Chemical  Reactions  at  Low  Pressures; 
X-ray  and  Crystals;  Ionization;Ferro-magnetic  Alloys;  Physical  Chemistry 
of  the  Blood;  Spectroscopy  of  Extreme  Ultra-violet;  Dielectric  Phenom- 
ena; Luminescence;  The  Beaver  as  an  Engineer. 

The  Publication  Bureau  also  has  weekly  lecture  courses  for  all 
members  of  the  department,  the  object  of  which  is  to  acquaint  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Bureau  with  the  activities  of  the  different  sections,  and  to 
consider  ways  of  co-operating  with  other  departments  of  the  Company 
in  the  preparation  of  publications,  bulletins,  handbooks,  technical  letters, 
and  all  the  multiplicity  of  publications  required  by  a  large  manufacturing 
organization  such  as  the  General  Electric  Company. 

AMERICAN  INSTITUTE  OF  ELECTRICAL  ENGINEERS 

Another  prominent  educational  feature  in  the  various  cities  where 
large  factories  of  the  General  Electric  Company  are  situated  is  the 
bi-weekly  section  meeting  of  the  American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engi- 
neers. The  Lynn  Section,  with  over  1600  members,  is  the  largest  of  the 
31  sections  of  this  Institute,  and  the  Schenectady  Section  is  second 
largest,  its  membership  numbering  approximately  1200. 

Anyone  interested  in  the  study,  manufacture,  or  application  of 
electrical  apparatus  and  resident  in  the  vicinity,  is  eligible  to  membership. 
The  local  section  is,  therefore,  open  to  all  factory  and  office  employees 
of  the  General  Electric  Company. 


Last  year's  addresses  at  the  Schenectady  Section  included  the 
following  papers: 

The  Electrically-driven  Gyroscope  and  Its  Uses. 

Regulation  of  Public  Utilities. 

The  Illumination  of  the  Panama-Pacific  International  Exposition. 

Railway  Electrification. 

Paper  Industry. 

Electrically  Driven  Ship  Propellers. 

The  Engineer  at  the  Battle  of  Verdun. 

The  Art  and  Science  of  Illumination. 

Production  of  Steam  from  Coal. 

The  "Amphibious"  Submarine. 

High-speed  Electric  Locomotives. 

Niagara  Power  or  a  Real  Coal  Shortage. 

Other  associations  which  have  sections  or  branches  in  Schenectady 
and  hold  frequent  meetings  are:  The  American  Society  of  Mechanical 
Engineers,  The  Society  of  Engineers  of  Eastern  New  York,  The  National 
Electric  Light  Association,  The  Illuminating  Engineering  Society,  The 
American  Chemical  Society,  and  The  Edison  Club. 

PUBLICATIONS 

A  great  variety  of  publications  are  available,  many  of  which  are 
for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  employees. 

The  technical  letters  are  confidential  and  are  not  for  public  distri- 
bution. 

Instruction  books  are  issued  showing  how  electrical  machinery 
should  be  shipped;  how  the  foundations  should  be  prepared;  how  the 
machines  should  be  assembled  and  set  up  in  the  field;  and  how  all  the 
electrical  connections  should  be  made. 

Illustrated  bullet  ns  are  available  in  which  are  described  and 
pictured  the  thousands  of  applications  of  electricity  to  hundreds  of 
different  industries.  For  example,  in  the  paper  and  pulp  industry,  the 
various  uses  of  electricity  are  described  and  illustrated,  from  the  cutting 
of  the  logs  in  the  forest  to  the  completion  of  the  roll  of  paper  ready 
to  ship  to  the  newspaper  office.  The  function  of  the  electric  motor  in 
cutting,  grinding,  chipping,  and  beating  the  wood  to  a  pulp,  and 
changing  this  watery  pulp  into  finished  paper,  are  interestingly  and 
clearly  described. 

Throughout  all  the  Works  of  the  General  Electric  Company  are  a 
thousand  bulletin  boards.  Every  week  a  new  safety  bulletin  is  posted 
showing  means  of  preventing  accidents  and  the  sad  results  of  carelessness. 
The  safety  work  of  the  General  Electric  Company  was  described  in  the 
chapter:  "Prevention  of  Accidents." 

138 


LIBRARIES 

Some  nations  know  how  to  amass  wealth,  but  their  economic  system 
is  unable  to  distribute  it  properly. 

Some  libraries  are  storehouses  where  knowledge  is  amassed — neatly 
segregated,  indexed,  classified,  and  then  merely  stored.  Other  libraries 
not  only  store  knowledge  but  condense  it,  fabricate  it  into  convenient 
forms,  do  it  up  in  attractive  packages,  and  distribute  it  to  a  selected  list 
of  "ultimate  consumers." 

MAIN  LIBRARY 

The  General  Electric  main  library  at  Schenectady  is  among  the 
latter  class.  In  fact,  this  library  is  a  tool  of  the  industry,  actually  serving 
the  factory,  the  department  heads,  research  investigators,  scientists, 


Fig.  91.     A  CORNER  IN  THE  MAIN  SCHENECTADY  LIBRARY 

commercial,  production,  and  accounting  departments  with  the  latest 
news  from  current  periodicals,  transactions  of  scientific  and  engineering 
societies,  and  reviews  and  translations  of  books  printed  in  all  languages. 
It  might  be  said  that  this  library  combines  the  functions  of  the 
editorial  and  circulation  departments  of  a  newspaper,  for  it  reads  and 
selects  the  news,  featuring  the  important  points,  and  then  circulates  the 
information  to  its  subscribers.  A  semi-monthly  Library  Notice  informs 
all  recipients  regarding  the  contents  of  new  articles  and  books.  In 
this  sense  the  Library  is  education  plus — it  becomes  a  regular  service 
department  as  opposed  to  a  place  for  semi-occasional  "little  journeys" 
of  an  educational  nature.  In  these  days  of  modern* business  only  rare 

i39 


individuals  go  to  the  library — pressure  of  twentieth  century  life  demands 
that  the  library  be  brought  to  the  individual. 

Our  modern  technical  librarian  can  now  give  us  just  what  we  want, 
when  we  want  it,  in  a  convenient  form,  and  in  hundreds  of  cases  without 
our  asking  for  it.  Hence  the  modern  industrial  library  has  ceased  to  be  a 
thing  apart  from  the  business  of  the  plant;  it  is  no  longer  a  disregarded 
adjunct.  From  a  storage  vault  it  has  become  a  manufactory,  changing 
the  raw  material  into  the  accessible  finished  product. 

RESEARCH  LABORATORY  LIBRARY 

Here  also  the  service  work  is  not  limited  to  the  mere  business  of 
bulletin  board  notices  of  new  books  received,  new  periodicals  on  file,  and 
current  societv  business  and  conventions:  the  accessions  are  read  and 


Fig.  92.  RESEARCH  LABORATORY  LIBRARY  AT  SCHENECTADY 

digested.  In  some  cases  the  complete  article  is  sent  to,  or  called  to  the 
attention  of,  interested  individuals.  Where  requested,  digests  or  trans- 
lations are  made  and  are  sent  to  those  engaged  in  lines  of  work  kindred 
to  the  subjects  treated  in  the  new  books  and  periodicals.  This  library 
has  a  file  of  lantern  slides  showing  tabulated  data,  formulae,  photographs 
or  drawings,  novel  installations  and  apparatus.  These  lantern  slides 
can  be  chosen  as  needed  for  lectures. 

The  up-to-date  corporation  librarian  has  the  intelligence  to  select 
important  matter,  and  the  initiative  to  authorize  reprints  for  distribution 
within  the  organization;  the  authority  to  approve  the  appropriation  and 
a  knowledge  of  wrho  would  be  interested  in  the  subjects  treated. 

140 


It  requires  intelligence  of  a  high  order  to  prepare  bibliographies  of 
such  subjects  as  the  latest  developments  throughout  the  world  in  the 
nitrogen  industries,  in  X-rays,  high  explosives,  or  submarines,  and 
separate  the  wheat  from  the  chaff! 

The  Library  has  its  commercial  aspects  as  well.  The  time  of  high- 
salaried  experts  need  not  be  taken  up  in  answering  questions  when  com- 
plete and  detailed  information  can  be  obtained  from  the  specialized 
librarian.  Inquirers  do  not  consume  hours  of  the  time  of  "the  man  who 
knows,"  at  $25  a  day,  when  more  exhaustive  and  detailed  information 
can  be  obtained  from  books  standing  idle  on  the  library  shelves.  Modern 
corporation  life  has  taught  us  not  to  ask  the  librarian  for  a  book  on 
chemistry  when  we  desire  information  on  boronized  copper,  for  we  save 
time  by  inquiring  definitely  about  boronized  copper.  If  we  wish  to  read  a 
paper  on  pure  electron  discharge  in  radio-telephony,  delivered  before  a 
society,  we  ask  for  that  paper  and  not  for  the  mailing  address  of  the 
society  in  New  York  or  Chicago;  for  the  pamphlet  is  on  file  and  possibly 
a  score  of  extra  copies,  for—mirabile  diciu! — our  demand  has  been 
anticipated! 

These  facilities  could  be  elaborated  to  include  the  Boston  Public 
Library,  only  16  miles  from  the  West  Lynn  Works;  and  the  New 
State  Library  at  Albany,  with  a  capacity  of  2,coo,ooo  volumes,  is  only 
17  miles  from  Schenectady.  Many  other  small  libraries  are  omitted 
from  this  account  as  they  are  too  specialized  to  be  of  general  interest. 

In  many  respects  a  similar  account  could  be  written  of  the  edu- 
cational facilities  and  libraries  in  the  other  plants  of  the  General  Electric 
Company. 


Books  a-nd 
Bound                   Pamphlets 
Periodicals 

Current 
Periodicals 

Main  General  Electric  Library  (Schenectady)  ....           4,000                    800 
General  Electric  Law  Library  .                  4,000 

100 

^Research  Laboratory  Library  2,775                  I>3°° 
Testing  Laboratory  Library  475 
Power  and  Mining  Department  Library  190 
^Illuminating  Laboratory  Library  450                 4,000 
*Consulting  Engineering  Laboratory  Library  j             100 
*Patent  Department.                                                             •?  ooo             250000 

90 
IO 

20 

2 
22 

^Publication  Bureau  Data  Section  7o°° 
Union  College  Library  51,000 

59 

Schenectady  Public  Library  40,000 
New  York  State  Library  (Albany)  4.28,000             150,000 
New  York  Office                                                                       350 

158 
30 

Boston  Office  225                      75 

3i 

*  Partly  confidential. 


CORRESPONDENCE  SCHOOLS 


The  leading  correspondence  schools  of  the  country  report  enrollments 
of  Genefal  Electric  employees  totalling  2000. 


141 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  ELECTRICAL  TESTING  COURSE 

There  still  exists  the  type  of  college  man  who  fancies  that  the  world 
is  waiting  with  outstretched  arms  to  receive  him,  and  that  his  career  in 
business  will  be  merely  coasting  pleasantly  down  from  the  heights  which 
he  attained  at  college.  Fortunately, in  the  engineering  colleges  especially, 
this  type  of  man  is  being  succeeded  by  men  having  a  better  outlook — 
men  who  have  had  practical  experience  during  their  summer  vacations. 
They  have  few  misconceptions  regarding  the  magic  power  of  the  sheep- 
skin to  obtain  for  them  a  place  in  the  world  without  hard  work.  On  the 
contrary,  more  and  more  they  are  appreciating  that  what  they  learn 
with  their  sleeves  rolled  up  is  invaluable  to  their  future  success,  whether 
they  are  destined  to  be  engineers,  executives,  or  sales  managers.  And 
there  is  no  period  of  their  life  upon  which  they  will  look  back  with  so 
much  sentiment  and  gratitude  as  upon  the  days  of  practical  work,  when 
they  learned  among  other  things  the  democracy  of  overalls  and  a  flannel 
shirt. 

This  chapter  will  describe  the  life  of  the  college  graduate  who  enters 
the  General  Electric  Company's  Test  Course,  and  will  trace  the  careers 
of  almost  2200  of  those  who  have  completed  the  training. 

The  diagram  on  the  opposite  page  shows  that  the  General  Electric 
Company's  Test  Course  is  an  open  door  to  the  electrical  industry;  it 
suggests  some  of  the  activities  for  which  the  men  will  be  especially 
trained;  and  it  shows  the  various  fields  in  which  the  college  graduates 
will  work  out  their  own  destinies. 

It  might  be  stated  that,  just  as  the  temper  of  steel  makes  the  tool 
hold  its  edge  and  just  as  the  chemical  of  the  photographer  fixes  the 
picture  on  the  negative,  just  so  does  this  practical  training  whet  to  a 
keen  edge,  fix,  indelibly  stamp  on  their  memories,  and  crystalize  in 
their  minds  the  knowledge  of  electricity  which  they  gained  in  their 
university  training.  Or  to  cite  another  parallel,  it  is  similar  to  the 
medical  student  who,  as  an  interne  in  a  great  metropolitan  hospital, 
gets  the  practice  which  is  necessary  in  order  that  he  acquire  the 
technique  of  his  profession. 

But  before  discussing  this  diagram  and  describing  the  careers  of 
these  young  men,  it  would  be  well  to  suggest  the  magnitude  of  the  future 
electrical  industry  and  the  increasing  call  for  trained  men  to  fill  its 
responsible  executive  and  engineering  positions. 

142 


w 


Wi 

r 


144 


ELECTRIFICATION  HAS  ONLY  BEGUN 

Not  over  a  tenth  of  the  possible  water  power  of  this  country  has 
been  developed;  less  than  I  per  cent  of  the  steam  railroads  have  been 
electrified  to  date;  500  miles  of  new  track  and  1000  new  street  cars  are 
put  in  service  annually;  15,000,000  houses  are  not  lighted  electrically; 
less  than  I  per  cent  are  wired  for  complete  electric  service.  The  electrical 
industry  was  practically  born  in  1879  when  Thomas  A.  Edison  invented 
the  incandescent  lamp,  and  was  put  on  a  commercial  basis  by  Edison's 
three-wire  system  about  1882 — barely  a  generation  ago!  Twelve  billion 
dollars  is  already  invested  in  the  electrical  industry  in  this  country.  Last 
year  $23  was  spent  per  capita  for  electrical  service  and  material.  The 
annual  gross  income  is  over  $2,500,000,000.  The  employees  number 
approximately  1,000,000.  But  the  money  to  be  spent  in  the  next  38 
years  and  the  size  of  the  industry  in  1956  stagger  the  imagination.  The 
executives  and  the  engineers  who  will  direct  the  great  electrification 
corporations  of  the  next  generation  are  in  college  today — many  perhaps 
are  reading  this  article. 

Referring  again  to  the  diagram,  attention  is  invited  to  the  fact 
that  the  test  course  is  indicated  as  a  path  between  college  and  business. 
The  average  time  required  for  the  college  man  to  traverse  this  pathway 
is  15  months.  His  average  earnings  for  this  time  at  the  Schenectady 
Works  are  #1277.15. 

FOREIGN  FIELDS 

Before  fully  describing  the  Test  Course  let  us  review  the  electrical 
industry  both  inside  and  outside  of  the  Company's  organization,  and 
find  what  positions  are  held  today  by  the  graduates  of  the  Test  Course 
in  the  past — at  the  same  time  bearing  in  mind  that  when  we  speak 
of  the  past  in  the  electrical  industry,  we  speak  of  an  absurdly  short 
space  of  time.  The  reader  should  appreciate  that  these  young  men  are 
scattered  over  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  doing  their  share  in  the 
fascinating  work  of  electrifying  China,  harnessing  waterfalls  in  India, 
installing  electrical  drive  in  sugar  mills  in  the  West  Indies,  substituting 
electricity  for  steam  or  hand  labor  in  the  mines  of  Alaska  and  South 
Africa,  building  railways  in  Australia  and  refrigerating  plants  in  the 
Philippine  Islands. 

CAREERS  OF  EX-TEST  MEN 

It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  make  a  survey  of  the  careers  of  these 
young  men.  It  was  thought  that  perhaps  the  best  method  would  be  to 
ascertain  Igpw  many  of  the  old  test  men  were  members  of  the  American 
Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers.  By  checking  one  list  against  the  other, 


it  was  found  that  the  names  of  nearly  1000  graduates  appeared  on  the 
membership  list  of  the  Institute,  with  present  address,  position,  and  title. 
Of  this  number  about  350  hold  positions  with  the  General  Electric 
Company  and  122  are  in  foreign  countries.  One  man  remarked  upon 
glancing  over  this  list:  "This  thoroughly  proves  that  for  the  test  man 
the  world  is  his  field  and  the  sky  is  his  limit." 

It  should  be  stated  in  connection  with  this  list  (Table  V)  that  many 
engineers  and  executives  of  the  Company  are  not  members  of  the  Na- 
tional body  of  the  American  Institute  of  Electrical  Engineers,  but  of 
local  sections  existing  at  Fort  Wayne,  Pittsfield,  Lynn,  Schenectady, 
Philadelphia,  Chicago,  Boston,  and  other  cities  throughout  the  country. 

The  field  of  activity  includes:  railways,  central  stations,  govern- 
mental work,  hydro-electrical  development,  signaling,  army  and  navy, 
power  transmission,  electro-chemistry,  manufacturing,  and  finance. 

MINING,  STEEL,  AND  RAILWAY  ENGINEERS 

Many  test  men  engaged  in  mining,  railway  work,  and  the  iron  and 
steel  industry,  etc.,  are  members  of  related  societies.  For  instance,  the 
list  of  members  of  the  Association  of  Iron  and  Steel  Electrical  Engineers 
shows  that  14  former  test  men  are  members  of  this  Association,  eight 
of  whom  are  still  with  the  Company.  McGraw's  1917  list  of  railway 
officials  (Table  I)  shows  that  the  following  positions  are  held  by  General 
Electric  test  men  in  the  electric  railway  field: 

TABLE  I 

ELECTRIC  RAILWAY  OFFICIALS  FORMERLY  GENERAL 
ELECTRIC  TEST  MEN 

Presidents 12 

Vice  Presidents 27 

Secretaries 15 

Treasurers 18 

Auditors 24 

General  Managers 18 

Managers 12 

Engineers  and  Superintendents 42 

Inspectors 3 

Master  Mechanics 6 

Purchasing  Agents 3 

Claim  Agents 3 

Land  Commissioners 3 

1 86 
TEST  MEN  IN  ENGINEERING  DEPARTMENTS 

The  extent  to  which  test  men  are  employed  in  the  various  factories 
and  district  offices  of  the  Company  is  shown  in  Table  VI,  representing 
63  General  Electric  engineering  departments.  This  accounts  for 
577  ex-test  men. 

146 


Since  test  men  constitute  52  per  cent  of  the  engineering  personnel, 
and  probably  90  per  cent  of  the  technical  force,  more  than  one  conclusion 
can  be  drawn: 

1st.  A  large  number  of  ex-test  men  are  employed  in  the  engineering 
departments  of  the  General  Electric  Company. 


MINE  HOIST  EQUIPMENT  UNDER  TEST 


MOTOR  GENERATOR  TEST  IN  BUILDING  NO.  11  AT  SCHENECTADY 

2nd.  For  a  college  graduate  the  Test  Course  is  the  best  if  not  the 
only  route  by  which  he  can  arrive  at  responsible  positions  in  these  engi- 
neering departments. 

H7 


This  census,  dealing  with  63  of  the  engineering  departments,  could 
be  supplemented  by  another  census  dealing  with  105  or  more  com- 
mercial departments  and  sections  of  the  Company  in  the  above  factories 


STEAM  TURBINE  TEST 


TESTING  LARGE  SYNCHRONOUS  CONVERTERS  AT  SCHENECTADY 

and  in  nearly  100  cities  throughout  the  world.  This  additional  census 
has  not  been  made,  but  a  cursory  survey  apparently  justifies  the  belief 
that  the  percentage  of  test  men  in  the  commercial  work  of  the  Company 

148 


is  even  greater  than  in  the  engineering.  And  scores  of  student 
engineers  enter  the  Construction,  Administrative,  and  Manufacturing 
Departments,  Laboratories,  etc. 

HIGH  POSITIONS  ATTAINED 

Table  VII  shows  the  percentage  of  the  Company's  officers,  managers, 
specialists,  etc.,  who  passed  through  the  preliminary  practical  training 
in  the  shops  "with  their  sleeves  rolled  up." 

In  addition,  there  are  hundreds  of  engineers  and  business  men, 
ex-test  men,  all  over  the  country,  not  with  the  General  Electric  Company, 
who  have  branched  off  into  the  automobile  business,  who  are  proprietors 
and  managers  of  power  plants  and  various  industries,  officers  in  electrical 
jobbing  concerns,  etc.  It  would  appear,  therefore,  that  the  young  men 
develop  versatility  as  a  result  of  their  theoretical  and  practical  education. 

COSMOPOLITANISM 

The  students  who  enter  this  course  are  practically  a  picked  crew 

from   the  graduates    of    over    100    engineering    colleges  in  the  United 

States — north,  south,  east,  and  west. 

A  total  of  257  students  have  been  accepted  from  colleges  in  over 

22    foreign     countries.     These    foreign    graduates    can    be    grouped    as 

follows: 

Students 

China 38 

South  American  Countries 34 

England 30 

Japan 29 

India 18 

Australia 17 

South  Africa 17 

Canada 10 

West  Indies 10 

France 6 

Other  Countries 48 

Total 257 

Therefore,  it  may  be  said  without  exaggeration  that  the  test  men 
are  a  cosmopolitan,  highly  educated  group  of  young  men. 

COLLEGE  PROFESSORS  AND  INSTRUCTORS 

The  instructive  value  of  the  Test  Course  is  indicated  by  the  fact 
that  instructors  and  professors  from  many  technical  colleges  have 
found  it  of  advantage  to  spend  their  summer  vacations  in  the  Testing 
Department  of  the  Company,  in  order  to  keep  in  touch  with  practical 
manufacturing  methods  and  to  learn  more  of  the  design  and  operating 
characteristics  of  the  latest  electrical  machinery  and  appliances.  A 
number  served  in  test  regularly  after  graduation. 

149 


THE  TESTING  DEPARTMENT 


The  Testing  Department  is  as  distinctly  a  department  of  the 
Company  as  is  the  Production,  Purchasing,  or  any  other;  and  its  work 
must  be  conducted  on  a  strictly  manufacturing  basis — time  and  cost 
records  being  kept  and  compared  with  existing  standards. 

The  great  outstanding  difference  between  the  Testing  Department 
and  other  departments  is  that  it  occupies  space  in  a  great  many  different 
buildings  and  deals  with  an  enormous  variety  of  apparatus.  Hence,  it  is 
ideal  for  developing  a  knowledge  of  the  Company's  products.  In  Schenec- 
tady,  for  instance,  the  Testing  Department  has  permanent  headquarters 
in  14  different  locations  distributed  throughout  the  Works.  The  reason 
for  this  scattering  is  that  the  apparatus  is  tested  where  it  is  manu- 
factured. In  a  typical  building  the  rough  castings  are  received  at 
one  end,  where  they  are  machined;  they  are  assembled  at  about  the 
middle  of  the  building  and,  after  being  tested,  are  painted  near  the  far 
end  of  the  building  and  are  boxed  and  loaded  on  railroad  cars  inside  the 
extreme  end  of  the  same  building.  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  men  in  the 
Testing  Department  are  under  the  same  roof  where  complete  manu- 
facturing processes  are  conducted. 

TABLE  III 
KV-A.  CAPACITY  OF  APPARATUS  USED  IN  TESTING 


Motors 

Generators 

Transformers 

Total 
Kv-a. 

Power 
Supply 

Schenectady  

32,000 

78,000 

3O,OOO 

I4O,OOO 

37,000 

Fort  Wayne  

3-I63 

1,535 

2,552 

7.250 

4,325 

Erie  

5.II7 

3,595 

4,943 

13,655 

9,oco 

Lynn  

3,684 

4,724 

4,955 

13,363 

12,000 

Sprague  

1,500 

300 

200 

2,000 

Pittsfield  

12,000 

30,000 

29.000 

7I,OOO 

7,200 

Total 

157,4.64. 

Il8,IC4 

7i,6co 

247,268 

6Q  £2s 

MAGNITUDE  OF  THE  TESTING  DEPARTMENT 

The  Testing  Department  of  the  General  Electric  Company  occupies 
732,486  sq.  ft.  of  space.  This  area  in  down-town  New  York  would  cover 
nearly  15  city  blocks,  each  the  size  of  that  occupied  by  the  Equitable 
Building,  which  is  bounded  by  Broadway,  Nassau,  Cedar,  and  Pine 
Streets.  It  is  29  per  cent  greater  than  the  entire  rentable  area  of  the 
Woolworth  Building.  Or  in  Chicago,  this  space  is  238  per  cent  as  large 
as  the  entire  rentable  area  of  the  Railway  Exchange  Building  on  Michigan 
Avenue  and  Jackson  Boulevard. 


150 


This  space  is  distributed  among  the  different  factories  as  follows: 

TABLE  IV 

Sq.  Ft. 

Schenectady 428,458 

Pittsfield 64,000 

Fort  Wayne 47>°7° 

Lynn 131,958 

Erie 50,000 

Sprague . 1 1,000 

Total 73M85 

ENORMOUS  CAPACITY  OF  TESTING  APPARATUS 

Would  you  believe  it  possible  that  the  General  Electric  Company 
should    set    aside    and    reserve    merely    for   testing    purposes    electrical 


TESTING  LARGE  CONVERTERS 

apparatus  totaling  almost  250,000  kv-a.?  This  statement  is,  however,  a 
conservative  figure,  since  it  does  not  include  the  power  stations — a 
certain  portion  of  which  is  used  for  testing  purposes.  The  capacity  of  this 
apparatus  is  half  as  great  as  all  of  the  power  generating  apparatus  at 
Niagara  Falls. 

Table  III  shows  the  capacity  of  apparatus  used  for  testing. 

MACHINES  HELP  TO  TEST  EACH  OTHER 

Inspection  of  Table  III  brings  out  some  very  interesting  facts- 
For  instance,  at  Pittsfield  the  power  station  has  only  one  tenth  the 
capacity  of  the  Testing  Department!  The  total  capacity  of  apparatus 
reserved  for  testing  in  each  factory  is  greater  than  the  capacity  of  its 
power  supply.  This  situation  is  largely  due  to  the  "feeding  back" 


method,  by  which  two  motors,  both  under  test,  are  used  for  testing 
each  other — one  running  as  a  generator  and  the  other  as  a  motor,  tflus 
saving  floor  space,  power,  and  generating  capacity.  By  this  last  "feeding 
back"  method,  testing  can  be  done  on  an  enormous  scale  with  the  use 
of  a  comparatively  trifling  amount  of  coal,  as  the  machines  being  tested 
supply  most  of  the  electricity  required  for  testing  them,  only  the  losses 
being  supplied  from  the  power  station. 

OPERATING  KNOWLEDGE 

What  may  be  considered  as  a  by-product  of  the  knowledge  gained 
in  the  Testing  Course  at  the  Schenectady,  Lynn,  and  Fort  Wayne  Works 
is  the  fact  that  there  are  no  operators  to  take  charge  of  this  huge  aggrega- 


STUDENT  ENGINEERS  TESTING  MARINE  ENGINE  SETS 

tion  of  electrical  testing  apparatus,  because  the  student  engineers 
themselves  operate  the  machines  which  are  used  for  testing  the  Com- 
pany's product.  With  this  operating  experience,  a  graduate  of  the  Test 
Course  can  enter  almost  any  main  station,  substation,  or  switchhouse 
and  take  charge  of  its  electrical  operation. 

The  efficiency  of  modern  electrical  protective  devices  is  well  demon- 
strated here,  for  all  this  apparatus  runs  year  after  year  under  varying 
conditions,  in  charge  of  a  shifting  crew  of  student  engineers  (excepting 
the  Pittsfield  room  shown  in  the  photograph). 

WIDE  VARIETY  OF  WORK 

The  fact  is  not  as  generally  understood  as  it  should  be,  that  the 
student  engineers  are  continually  shifted  from  one  kind  of  work  to 


another,  and  are  consulted  regarding  the  sort  of  work  they  desire  to 
specialize  in  and  also  what  class  of  testing  they  desire  to  take  up  month 
after  month. 

For  example,  if  a  student  engineer  has  expressed  a  preference  for 
turbine  work,  he  can  spend  50  per  cent  or  more  of  his  time  testing  large 
and  small  turbo-generator  sets.  Turbines  are  tested  non-condensing 
and  with  vacua  up  to  29  inches,  and  the  student  becomes  familiar  with 
the  properties  of  steam  ranging  from  200  degrees  superheat  down  to 
20  per  cent  moisture. 

STEAM  ENGINEERING 

Turbines  for  the  latest  power  plants  operate  with  steam  at  250 
degrees  superheat  and  29  inches  vacuum  on  the  exhaust.  The  students 
gain  a  working  familiarity  with,  boiler  steam  that  is  hot  enough  to  melt 
tin  and  get  a  knowledge  of  the  types  of  piping,  fittings,  gaskets,  valves, 
etc.,  required  to  resist  such  temperatures. 

Among  the  variations  in  turbine  testing  are  the  ship  propulsion  units 
being  manufactured.  Some  of  these  are  being  fitted  with  the  Alquist 
flexible  reduction  gears,  while  others  employ  direct  electric  drive — both 
developments  of  the  Company. 

In  connection  with  the  testing  of  generating  apparatus,  attention  is 
directed  to  the  photographs  of  turbine  and  marine  steam  engine  testing, 
which  show  a  great  amount  of  high  pressure  and  low  pressure  piping  to 
turbines,  engines,  condensers,  pumps,  etc.  One  of  the  surprises  in  store 
for  the  student  engineer  who  enters  this  course  is  the  vast  amount  of 
information  which  he  secures  in  regard  to  steam.  With  the  central 
stations  calling  for  higher  and  still  higher  efficiencies,  the  General 
Electric  Company  has  co-operated  with  the  boiler  industry  on  the  one 
hand  and  the  condenser  industry  on  the  other — to  produce  higher 
pressures  and  higher  superheat  from  the  one,  higher  vacua  from  the 
other,  and  greater  capacity  from  both. 

The  student  engineer  lives  in  an  atmosphere  of  practical  thermo- 
dynamics while  he  is  in  contact  with  turbine  and  marine  engine  tests. 
An  indication  of  the  scale  on  which  this  mechanical-electrical  phase  of 
the  Company's  testing  has  been  developed  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
recently  a  condenser  equipment  was  placed  in  Building  60  at  an  expense 
of  $300,000,  and  a  steam  equipment  is  being  installed  in  Building  49  at  a 
further  expense  of  $200,000 — both  solely  for  testing  purposes.  Such  is 
practical  turbine  testing  today.  In  comparison  with  this  work  the  little 
jet  and  barometric  condensers  in  the  old  college  "lab"  are  but  cunning 
toys. 


An  idea  of  the  variety  of  apparatus  operated  and  tested  by  these 
young  men  is  given  by  the  following  schedule: 

APPARATUS  TESTED  BY  STUDENT  ENGINEERS 

(SCHENECTADY  COURSE) 

Building  n — Motor-generator  sets  up  to  500  kw.,  synchronous  converters,  planer  panel 
equipment,  lighting  generators,  government  motors,  developmental  work. 

Building  12 — Railway  motors,  mill,  mine,  and  crane  motors. 

Building  18 — Induction  motors  up  to  150  h.p.,  direct-current  motors  and  generators,  motor ~ 
generators  up  to  300  kw. 

Building  60 — Steam  turbine  alternating-current  and  direct-current  generating  sets,  ship 
propulsion  turbines  for  gear  and  electric  drive. 

Building  40 — Induction  motor  starting  compensators. 

Building  52 — Industrial  control  devices,  field  and  starting  rheostats,  control  panels,  industria 
appliances. 

Building  16 — Motor  generators  above  500  kw.,  synchronous  converters  500  kw.,  frequency 
changers  503  kw.,  large  waterwheel  generators,  synchronous  motors,  steel  mill  equip- 
ment, flywheel  sets,  double-speed  tests. 

Building  52 — Induction  motors  above  150  h.p.,  speed-regulating  sets  variable  speed 
alternating-current  motors. 

Building  60 — Train  control  panels,  mill  and  mine  hoist  panels,  controllers — all  kinds,  con- 
tactors and  insulators. 

Building  61 — Efficiency  tests  on  turbines,  steam  flow  meters,  special  tests  on  large  apparatus 
from  other  buildings. 

Building  32 — Voltage  regulators,  contact  making  voltmeters. 

Building  28 — High  voltage  tests  up  to  750,000  volts. 

Test  Track  and  Building  203 — Railway  developmental  work. 

At  Piltsfield — Power  transformers,  feeder  regulators,  alternating-current  motors. 

FIRST  TO  OPERATE  BIG  INSTALLATIONS 

This  wide  variety  of  apparatus  illustrates  the  breadth  and  scope  of 
the  test  man's  work;  for  it  embraces  the  latest,  and  hence  the  most 
interesting,  electrical  and  mechanical  devices  manufactured.  When  the 
engineer  of  a  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  electric  locomotive  throws 
his  controller  handle  one  notch  ahead,  he  but  duplicates  what  an  electrical 
test  man  had  previously  done.  When  an  operator  of  the  great  locks  of  the 
Panama  Canal  throws  the  switches  which  permit  a  32,ooo-ton  battleship 
to  pass  through,  he  also  merely  operates  what  the  student  engineer  had 
previously  tested  and  adjusted.  And  in  the  great  steel  mills,  central 
stations,  mines,  and  battleships,  and  in  the  thousand  and  one  other 
places  where  electricity  is  used,  every  piece  of  electrical  apparatus  has 
been  tested  previously  by  student  engineers.  This  follows  from  the  fact 
that  no  machine  can  be  shipped  unless  o.k'd  by  the  Testing  Depart- 
ment. 

WHAT  ARE  THE  FACTS? 

The  student  engineers  are  not  told  what  specifications  and  effi- 
ciencies the  machines  are  guaranteed  to  fulfill;  they  are  instructed  as  to 
what  standard  and  special  tests  should  be  made.  Thus  they  make  all  the 


electrical  preparations,  observations,  and  measurements,  calculate 
efficiencies  and  plot  curves  of  performance,  all  of  which  are  checked  and 
compared  with  the  guarantees  by  those  who  are  responsible  for  the 
decision  as  to  when  a  machine  is  ready  to  be  shipped. 

RESPONSIBILITY 

In  all  of  this  shop  work  the  student  engineers  are  temporarily  a  part 
of  the  well-organized  Testing  Department,  and  they  become  personally 
responsible  for  the  conduct  of  the  tests  of  which  they  have  charge.  No 


POWER  EQUIPMENT  FOR  TESTING  TRANSFORMERS  AT  PITTSFIELD 

matter  in  which  of  the  above  buildings  they  are  working,  they  are  under 
the  direction  of  the  75  men  of  the  permanent  Testing  Department. 
These  men  show  the  student  engineers  how  to  make  rapid  diag- 
noses of  unexpected  performance  by  any  kind  of  apparatus  or  device. 
This  suggests  to  the  inquiring  mind  that  the  test  man  becomes  an  expert 
"trouble  shooter,"  and  that  wherever  he  may  encounter  electrical 
machinery  of  any  kind,  he  will  probably  be  fully  capable  of  adjusting  the 
connections,  controllers,  brushes,  poles,  armatures,  bearings,  or  founda- 


tions,  or  to  otherwise  diagnose  trouble,  restore  the  machinery  to  full 
operation,  and  instruct  the  operator  how  to  obtain  continuous  satis- 
factory performance. 

As  not  over  10  per  cent  of  the  electrical  and  steam  installations  sold 
by  the  General  Electric  Company  are  erected  by  the  Company's  con- 
struction department,  it  is  apparent  that  the  remaining  90  per  cent,  when 
shipped,  must  be  ready  to  operate.  Thus  the  customer's  engineers  or 
electricians  set  the  apparatus  on  the  foundation  according  to  drawings 
and  instructions  of  the  Company,  make  the  wiring  connections  according 
to  the  diagram  furnished  with  the  machinery,  and  expect  the  new 
installation  to  start  up  and  operate  without  a  hitch  when  the  switch  is 
thrown.  If  the  test  men  have  done  their  duty  properly,  there  will  be  no 
trouble  when  the  customer  follows  directions.  Since  the  cost  of  satisfying 
customers'  complaints  has  been  reduced  to  a  negligible  per  cent  of  the 
cost  of  the  apparatus,  it  would  appear  that  the  test  men  had  thoroughly 
mastered  the  details  and  intricacies  of  the  electrical  machinery  and 
controlling  devices,  and  properly  adjusted  everything — even  to  the 
smallest  relay. 

GOVERNMENT  WORK 

As  to  the  broad  knowledge  of  the  test  men,  let  us  consider  only  one 
phase  of  the  testing  work  of  today— government  work.  Seventy-five 
hundred  horse  power  motors  are  being  built  to  propel  some  of  our  latest 
battleships;  as  are  also  the  turbo-generators  which  supply  electricity  to 
these  motors;  the  Curtis  turbines  which  will  propel  so  many  of  our  new 
emergency  fleet;  the  gears  which  will  transmit  the  power  from  these 
turbines  to  the  propeller  shaft;  the  motors  which  rotate  the  turrets  of 
battleships  and  hoist  the  ammunition;  the  generators  for  the  wireless; 
and  the  small  marine  steam  engine-driven  lighting  units.  All  of  this 
apparatus,  whether  of  30,000  kv-a.  or  2^-kw.  capacity,  is  tested,  adjusted, 
and  studied  by  the  student  engineers  before  it  is  shipped. 

To  maintain  perfect  operation  of  these  machines  so  vitally  necessary 
to  modern  warfare,  who  would  be  so  well  fitted  as  the  man  who  originally 
tested  them  or  identical  machines?  The  Army  and  Navy  Departments 
in  selecting  officers  to  take  charge  of  the  electrical  equipment  of  our 
great  war  vessels  were  quick  to  grasp  the  opportunity  of  engaging  test 
men  as  chief  electricians,  chief  engineers,  wireless  operators,  etc.  Can  you 
imagine  the  delight  in  the  heart  of  a  young  naval  officer  when  he  goes  to 
his  post  of  duty  on  a  battleship,  cruiser,  destroyer,  or  submarine  and 
finds  there  some  machines  which  he  himself  had  tested  and  adjusted  in 
the  old  days  at  Schenectady  or  Lynn!  He  understands  their  language. 
They  respond  to  his  touch  and  will  faithfully  perform  their  heroic  tasks 
in  partnership  with  him. 

156 


GOVERNMENT  RECOGNITION 

That  the  United  States  Government  recognizes  the  value  of  practical 
testing  work  has  been  demonstrated  in  at  least  two  ways: 


USE  OF  HIGH  POTENTIAL  PORTABLE  TEST  TABLE.     HIGH-VOLTAGE  DISTRIBUTING 
BOARD  IN  TOP  BACKGROUND,  SCHENECTADY  WORKS 


TESTING  MOTOR-GENERATOR  SETS  AND  INDUCTION  MOTORS 

In  1917,  in  the  midst  of  their  test  course,  252  student  engineers  left 
to  enter  military  service.    Of  the  150  who  left  Schenectady,  90  per  cent 


have  already  received  commissions;  as  have  10  out  of  13  who  left  Fort 
Wayne — some  holding  offices  in  the  army,  as  high  as  major  or  captain, 
and  in  the  navy,  such  rank  as  ensign,  lieutenant,  chief  electrician,  etc.,  all 
in  less  than  one  year! 

Among  the  hundreds  who  went  to  war,  only  those  who  left  during 
the  Test  Course  have  been  included  in  this  survey. 

CIVIL  SERVICE  REQUIREMENTS 

But  government  recognition  is  not  limited  to  military  matters. 
The  United  States  Civil  Service  Commission's  printed  form  No.  2204, 
issued  in  1917,  in  speaking  of  educational  training  and  experience  which 
applicants  must  have  for  Civil  Service  positions,  mentions: 

"and  at  least  one  year's  additional  experience  in  testing  electrical 

machinery." 

Civil  Service  Form  No.  1785,  issued  in  1917,  especially  mentions 
among  the  necessary  qualifications  of  experience  and  training: 

"one  year's  experience  in  the  testing  of  electrical  machinery  and 

apparatus." 

"five  years'  experience  in  inspection  and  testing  of  electrical  machin- 
ery and  apparatus,  two  years  of  which  must  have  been  work 
on  the  test  floor  of  an  electrical  manufacturing  company." 
"three  years'  engineering  experience  in  installation  or  manufacture 
of  electrical  machinery,  one  year  of  which  must  have  been 
inspection  or  testing." 

CLASSROOM  INSTRUCTION 

LECTURES 

The  theoretical  phase  of  the  training  is  taken  care  of  by  an  extensive 
series  of  lectures  which  are  given  to  the  student  engineers  by  prominent 
designing,  research,  and  production  engineers,  and  commercial  managers 
of  the  Company.  Not  only  are  these  lectures  free,  but  the  students  are 
paid  full  time  while  attending  them.  Attendance  is  not  compulsory  and 
the  student  may  attend  one  or  two  each  week  as  desired.  These  lectures 
are  given  between  4:30  and  5:30  p.m.,  after  the  close  of  the  working  day. 
In  order  to  render  them  as  valuable  as  possible  and  to  afford  opportunity 
for  the  asking  and  answering  of  questions,  the  engineers  give  each  lecture 
several  times  so  that  the  attendance  at  each  class  can  be  kept  small  and 
the  lectures  entirely  informal.  This  has  an  added  advantage  in  that 
those  students  who  have  missed  a  lecture  may  be  able  to  make  it  up  later. 

PREVENTING  "OVER  SPECIALIZATION" 

The  purpose  of  these  lectures  is  to  round  out  the  student's  knowledge 
of  the  Company's  product  as  well  as  develop  his  versatility.  The  young 


men  are  encouraged  in  their  desire  to  become  specialists,  but  are  pre- 
vented from  becoming  narrow-minded  by  the  broad  fields  of  knowledge 
that  are  opened  up  to  them  by  these  various  lectures.  For  example,  if  a 


TESTING  SMALL  SYNCHRONOUS  CONVERTERS 


FIVE  MOTOR-GENERATOR  SETS  FOR  ELECTRIFYING  STEAM  RAILROADS  OVER  THE 

ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 

student  engineer  desires  to  become  a  commercial  man,  these  lectures 
give  him  information  of  a  technical  character  which  will  make  him  a 
better  commercial  man;  if  he  desires  to  become  a  designing  engineer,  they 


give  him  a  knowledge  of  many  of  the  Company's  commercial  methods; 
should  he  believe  that  his  future  career  will  lie  entirely  along  operating 
and  managing  lines,  he  will  derive  a  knowledge  of  cost  accounting, 
production,  welfare  work,  research  developments,  safety  campaigns, 
factory  methods,  toolmaking,  industrial  education,  etc.  Altogether  there 
are  50  lectures  at  Schenectady,  25  at  Pittsfield,  20  at  Lynn,  and  17 
at  Fort  Wayne. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  varied  careers  of  the  ex-test  men,  it  will  be  seen 
from  the  number  of  presidents,  general  managers,  executives,  consulting 
engineers,  directors,  superintendents,  commercial  engineers,  etc.,  that 
there  is  great  demand  for  versatile  men  with  a  wide  field  of  knowledge, 
as  well  as  an  intensive  knowledge  of  one  kind  of  work  or  apparatus. 
It  is  the  old  question  of  which  is  better: 

To  know  something  about  everything,  or 

To  know  everything  about  something. 

Attentive  attendance  at  these  lectures  will  help  the  young  men  to 
know  something  about  everything  electrical,  and  will  also  indicate  the 
way  and  the  individuals  through  whom  they  can  learn  everything  about 
something. 

Students  may  attend  each  of  these  lectures  more  than  once  if  they 
desire. 

POSTGRADUATE  COURSE  AT  UNION  COLLEGE 

Student  engineers  who  have  completed  a  four-year  college  course  or 
equivalent,  with  B.S.  degree,  and  who  wish  to  continue  their  electrical 
education  from  the  theoretical  standpoint,  can  obtain  their  advanced 
Master's  degree  at  Union  College.  The  Company  refunds  over  50  per 
cent  of  the  matriculation  and  tuition  fees  to  those  who  have  secured  their 
degree.  The  classes  are  held  every  Friday  morning  on  the  Company's 
time,  thus  making  the  student  engineers'  working  week  practically  five 
days  only. 

This  postgraduate  work  is  a  two-year  course  and  is  a  comparatively 
new  development,  inasmuch  as  it  was  organized  in  1916.  There  are  now 
35  students  enrolled,  ten  of  whom,  it  is  expected,  will  be  graduated  in 
1918  with  the  degree  of  Master  of  Science. 

The  post  graduate  course  consists  largely  of  lectures  and  demonstra- 
tions, although  numerous  problems  are  given  for  home  work. 

CURRICULUM 

I.     Advanced  Electricity,  by  Prof.  E.  J.  Berg. 
II.     Mathematics  of  Electrical  Theory,  by  Prof.  Fedder. 
III.     Lectures  on  Electron  Theory;  Electrical  Properties  of  Gases  and 
Liquids,  by  Prof.  K  lee  man. 

160 


LYNN— M.  I.  T. 

A  co-operative  course  between  the  General  Electrical  Company 
and  the  Massachusetts  Institute  of  Technology  is  described  in  the 
Institute's  catalogue. 

ADVANCEMENT 

The  college  men  enrolled  in  the  test  course,  it  might  be  correctly 
stated,  are  a  floating  population — they  are  in  a  continuous  state  of  flux. 
A  few  weeks  after  their  arrival,  they  begin  their  migrations,  emigrating 
from  one  department  and  immigrating  into  another. 

TRANSFERS 

Every  week  from  20  to  40  men  are  transferred  to  a  new  kind  of 
work.  There  is  no  stagnation,  no  routine,  no  winding  of  armatures 
and  field  coils,  very  little  if  any  repetition  of  any  kind  of  work  beyond  the 
point  where  it  ceases  to  be  interesting  to  the  average  man.  As  long  as  a 
young  man  with  an  active  mind  is  doing  something  different  from  what 
he  did  last  week,  or  better  than  he  did  it  yesterday,  his  knowledge  is 
broadened.  Six  months  passes  more  rapidly  in  this  fascinating  work 
than  six  weeks  does  in  the  dull  details  of  routine.  Every  student  who 
stays  in  the  course  is  transferred.  If  he  can  keep  up  with  the  procession, 
he  moves  along;  if  he  cannot  keep  up  with  it,  it  is  suggested  that  he  is 
probably  better  fitted  for  other  lines  of  work. 

At  regular  intervals  the  student  is  given  a  blank  entitled  "Appli- 
cation for  Transfer"  in  which  he  indicates  a  preference  for  the  line  of 
work  which  he  is  to  undertake  next. 

Thus  the  student  engineer  is  directing  and  designing  his  career  by 
selecting  the  several  different  tests  which  he  desires  to  undertake.  This 
brings  up  the  fact  that  there  is  no  set  curriculum,  all  of  which  he  must 
follow,  but  that  among  the  fourteen  classes  of  apparatus  to  be  tested  he 
can  have  his  choice,  as  far  as  production  conditions  permit. 

The  student  engineer  makes  out  several  of  these  applications  for 
transfer  during  the  time  spent  in  the  test  course  and,  at  the  bottom 
of  each,  the  head  of  the  section  where  he  has  been  working  grades  him 
according  to  the  following  qualifications: 

Technical  ability  Accuracy 

Industry  Ability  to  push  things 

Neatness  Personality 

These  gradings  are  then  posted  upon  a  card,  so  it  can  be  seen  at  a 
glance  whether  he  is  excellent,  good,  fair,  or  poor  in  any  or  all  of  the 
six  qualifications.  These  cards  are  available  for  each  man's  inspection, 
but  otherwise  are  confidential.  Good  marks  in  regard  to  personality  are 
especially  necessary  for  those  desiring  commercial  work  in  the  future. 

161 


At  the  end  of  six  months  other  events  take  place  which  will  affect 
his  future  career.  Every  student  receives  a  letter  from  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Testing  Department  as  follows: 

"Positions  in  the  various  departments  of  the  Company  are  continually  opening  up, 
and  in  order  to  fill  these  most  satisfactorily  it  is  necessary  to  know  the  nature  of  employment 
each  man  desires  and  feels  he  is  best  fitted  for. 

"With  this  idea  in  view,  and  to  cause  each  man  to  consider  well  the  line  of  work  he 
wants,  this  note  is  being  sent  to  men  who  have  been  on  test  six  months. 

"No  man  will  be  recommended  for  employment  until  he  has  filled  out  the  attached  slip 
and  turned  it  in  to  the  test  office  in  person." 

Thus  again  the  individual's  personal  choice  and  ambitions,  together 
with  such  business  relations  as  he  may  have  established  before  entering 
the  test  course,  are  taken  into  consideration  before  he  expresses  a  prefer- 
ence as  to  his  future  work. 

OFFICE  TRAINING 

After  six  months  or  more  have  elapsed  since  the  college  man  entered 
the  test  course,  another  variation  presents  itself  to  those  who  have  made 
a  good  record.  The  Superintendent  of  the  Testing  Department  selects 
men  for  a  three  months'  assignment  to  the  various  offices  in  the  engineer- 
ing and  commercial  departments,  at  the  end  of  which  training  they 
return  to  the  Testing  Department.  This  sample  of  what  designing  and 
commercial  engineering  work  really  is,  is  afforded  so  that  they  may  more 
fully  appreciate  the  value  of  the  testing  work,  and  also  that  they  will  be 
better  able  to  decide  on  the  kind  of  work  for  which  they  are  adapted— 
and  possibly  revise  their  choice  as  shown  on  their  preference  blank. 

PROMOTION 

Promotion  from  the  Testing  Department  is  not  haphazard;  it  is 
not  for  the  star  members  only;  it  is  universal.  For,  as  stated  above,  those 
who  remain  in  the  test  course  will  be  promoted,  and  those  who  will  not 
be  promoted  do  not  complete  the  test  course.  Every  week  approximately 
seven  men  complete  the  test — four  being  promoted  and  three  leaving  for 
positions  for  which  they  have  been  recommended,  outside  the  Company. 

TRIAL  PERIOD 

The  first  step  in  the  promotion  of  a  man  is  the  "trial  period"  of  three 
months  in  the  department  where  permanent  employment  is  anticipated. 

By  this  means  the  department  heads  will  have  the  privilege  of  trying 
out  a  man  in  order  to  be  certain  that  his  personal  qualifications  and 
temperament  are  suited  for  the  position.  This  is  just  as  important  to  the 
test  man  as  it  is  to  the  department  head  and  to  the  whole  organization; 
and  right  here  in  this  policy  will  be  found  one  of  the  secrets  of  the  success 
of  the  General  Electric  Company:  Every  man  is  peculiarly  fitted  by 
practical  experience  for  the  work  which  he  does. 

162 


VALUE  OF  PRACTICAL  EXPERIENCE 

Hundreds  of  examples  could  be  cited  to  prove  that  the  unromantic 
work  of  repairing  engines  and  generators  and  even  inspecting  boilers  is 
a  valuable  asset  to  an  engineering  career  in  the  electrical  industry.  For 
instance  Mr.  W.  B.  Potter,  Engineer  of  the  Railway  and  Traction 
Engineering  Department,  took  a  position  in  the  Testing  Department  at 


THE  TESTING  GANG  AT  LYNN  IN  THE  OLD  DAYS 

the  Lynn  Works  in  1887  and  has  preserved  the  original  letters  leading 
up  to  his  engagement.  These  form  an  interesting  parallel  to  later  corre- 
spondence in  which  he  stated: 

"My  shop  experience  and  the  knowledge  of  electric  and  steam  practice  has  continually 
proved  of  inestimable  value." 

And  Mr.  E.  E.  Boyer,  who  holds  a  high  executive  position  in  the 
Lynn  Works,  entered  the  Testing  Department  there  in  1885.  The 
following  paragraph  is  abstracted  from  a  letter  written  to  him  by  the 
superintendent,  April  17,  1885: 

"Our  requirements  are  that  each  applicant  must  serve  a  certain  period  in  the  workshop 
building  the  different  parts  of  our  apparatus,  then  serve  awhile  in  the  assembling  room,  and 
finally  in  the  testing  room  the  time  occupied  being  from  four  to  six  months.  The  pay  during 
this  period  is  but  sufficient  to  provide  for  your  board,  and  would  be  $i  per  day." 

(Signed)  E.  W.  RICE,  JR., 

Superintendent. 

163 


This  discloses  the  fact  that  the  idea  of  building  an  organization  on 
the  foundation  of  practical  training  was  put  into  effect  33  years  ago  by 
the  superintendent,  now  President,  of  the  Company. 

BUILDING  AN  ORGANIZATION 
Mr.  Thomas  A.  Edison  says: 

"Problems  in  human  engineering  will  receive  during  the  coming  years  the  same  genius 
and  attention  which  the  nineteenth  century  gave  to  the  more  material  forms  of  engineering." 

The  great  idea  of  human  engineering,  with  which  is  associated 
vocational  training  and  wisely  managed  employment  departments,  is  a 
product  of  the  twentieth  century;  and  yet  the  letter  signed  by  the 
superintendent  in  1885  would  indicate  that  there  were  some  individuals 
living  in  the  nineteenth  century  who  fully  appreciated  this  point  in 
forming  the  nucleus  of  a  business  staff  now  second  to  none. 

ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 

In  a  booklet  entitled  "  Practical  Training  for  Engineering  Grad- 
uates," the  social  opportunities  of  the  student  engineers  are  outlined, 
and  photographs  included  showing  exterior  and  interior  views  of  the 
Edison  Club,  Edison  Hall,  and  the  Boat  Club  in  Schenectady;  also  the 
Thomson  Club  at  Lynn,  and  aquatic  sports  at  Pittsfield  and  Schenectady. 
Other  information  is  given  regarding  athletics,  home  life,  cost  of  room 
and  board  within  walking  distance  of  the  Works,  climate,  topography 
of  the  country,  and  size  of  the  various  Works  of  the  Company. 

TABLE  V 

POSITIONS  NOW  HELD  BY  EX-TEST  MEN  AS  ASCER- 
TAINED FROM  NATIONAL  MEMBERSHIP 
LIST  OF  A.I.E.E. 

In  G-E      In  other  In  G-E      In  other 

Com-          Com-  Com-          Com- 

pany         panics  pany          panics 

Abroad  in  Business 15  107  Business I 

Employment i  I 

General  Officers  Assistants 2  2 

Presidents I            10               No  designation ., 16 

Vice  Presidents  and  Assist-  Superintendents 

c  ants  •-        -YY-:--  '  'I  General 7 

Secretaries  and  Assistants       . .  Qf  Motiye  pQwer 

Treasurers ....  Division  Qr  Distfict 

Managers  Assistant  General 2 

General  Sales 2  . .  Assistant  Electrical 2 

Advertising I  ..  Assis tant .  .        . 4 

General  25  Welfare  and  Assistant....         2 

Assistant '  General '. '. '.  Technical i 

Works  Construction I 

District!!  "2  "6              ^etfr'V, •'              ' 

Assistant  District  Dept. . .  2  . .               Mechanical 

Local..  10  2               Commercial 

Department  Sales 7  ..               Electrical....    2 

Directing I  I               Not  designated 18 

Department 14  2           Electrical  Engineers 251         338 

Contract I  I           Miscellaneous 33         218 

164 


TABLE  VI 

PERCENTAGE  OF  TEST  MEN  IN  ENGINEERING 
DEPARTMENTS 


SCHENECTADY 


FORT  WAYNE 


Departments 


Per 
Cent 

Alternating-current  Engineering 70 

Construction 37 

Construction  Engineering 20 

Direct-current  Engineering 95 

Direct-current  Motor  Engineering  ....    80 

Flow  Meter 57 

Induction  Motor 70 

Industrial  Control 70 

Industrial  Heating  Device 75 

Insulation  Engineering 29 

Lighting 95 

Power  and  Mining 89 

Publication  Bureau 24 

Purchasing o 

Railway  and  Traction 83 

Railway  Equipment 71 

Railway  Locomotive 50 

Railway  Motor 69 

Regulator 66 

Research  Laboratory 40 

Searchlight 20 

Standardizing  Laboratory 40 

Switchboard 41 

Testing  Laboratory 25 

Turbine 63 

Wiring  Supplies 50 

Test   men  in   above  26  departments 
average 51  per  cent 

LYNN 

Automobile  Motors 75 

Fabroil  Gear  and  Pinion 33 

Gear  and  Pinion 100 

Meter  and  Instrument 18 

Motor 75 

Rectifier  Tube 75 

Street  Lighting 55 

Transformer 80 

Turbine 57 

Wire  and  Insulation 67 

Test  men  in  above  ten  departments 
average 63.5  per  cent 

PITTSFIELD 

Lightning  Arrester 91 

Motor 33 

Transformer 83 

Test  men  in  above  three  departments 
average 69  per  cent 


Per 
Cent 


Departments 

Alternating-current  and   direct-current 

Apparatus 57 

Automobile  Accessories 50 

Fractional  H.P.  Motor 58 

Meter 20 

Rock  Drill o 

Transformer 78 

Test  men  in  above  six  departments 
average 44  per  cent 


o 

33 

33 

100 


SPRAGUE 

Conduit  Products 

Hoist 

Motor  and  Generator 

Ozonator 

Switchboard  and  Panelboard o 

Test  men  in  above  five  departments 
average 33  per  cent 


ERIE 

Air  Brake 17 

Gas  Engine 20 

Power  and  Mining  Loco 43 

Test  men  in  above  three  departments 
average 27  per  cent 


DISTRICT  OFFICES 

Atlanta 60 

Boston 64 


75 
50 
o 
67 
••  77 


Chicago 
Cincinnati.. 

Dallas 

Denver.  .  .  . 
New  York.. 

Pacific  Coast 50 

Philadelphia 50 

St.  Louis 47 


Test  men  in  above  District  Engineer- 
ing Offices  average 54  per  cent 

AVERAGE  in  above  63  departments, 
52  per  cent 


165 


TABLE  VII 


PERCENTAGE  OF  GENERAL  ELECTRIC  OFFICIALS, 

MANAGERS,  SPECIALISTS,  ETC.,  WHO  ARE 

EX-TEST  MEN 


Per- 
centage 

Power  and  Mining  Eng.  Dept.  Section 

Heads 100 

Local  Supply  Dept.  Mgrs. 100 

District     Power     and     Mining     Dept. 

Mgrs 100 

District  Lighting  Dept.  Mgrs 100 

Transformer  Specialists 92 

Switchboard  Specialists . 89 

General  Office  Commercial  Dept.  Ass't 

Mgrs 83 

Local  Small  Motors  Dept.  Mgrs 83 

District  Engineers 80 

Schenectady  Designing  Engineers 78 

Local  Engineers 75 

Resident  Agents 74 

General  Office  Dept.  Mgrs 73 

Local  Managers 72 

General  Office  Commercial  Dept -71 

Local  Apparatus  Dept.  Mgrs 67 

Meter  Specialists .   64 

General   Office    Supply    Dept.    Section 

Heads 63 

Schenectady  Designing  Engineers  (Sup- 
plementary)     62 

District  Railway  Dept.  Mgrs 60 

Foreign  Sales  Offices 56 


Per- 
centage 

District  Small  Motors  Dept.  Mgrs..  .  .   50 

District  Apparatus  Dept.  Mgrs 43 

District  Supply  Dept.  Mgrs 43 

Heads  of  Laboratories 43 

Works  Managers 40 

District  Managers 40 

General  Office  Commercial  Dept.  Mgrs.  39 
General    Office    Administrative    Dept. 

Mgr.  (Supplementary) 33 

Heating  Device  Specialists 31 

Railway  Supply  Section  Heads 30 

Local  Chief  Clerks 27 

District  Fort  Wayne  Dept.  Mgrs 25 

General    Office    Administrative    Dept. 

Mgr 20 

District  Order  Dept.  Mgrs   and  Clerks  20 

General  Officers 20 

Production  Managers 17 

Domestic  Device  Specialists 6 

General  Office  Accounting  Dept  Section 

Heads o 

Works  Accounting  Dept o 

Local  Auditors o 

District  Auditors o 

Among  42  lists  of  officers,  etc.,  average 
per  cent  of  ex-test  men.  .  .51  per  cent 


1.66 


Curve 


P.XM.  discover*  that  Us  idu^i^  fiom  lx>atd  B.i$  OK. 

CARTOONS  FROM  SOUVENIR  MENU  AT  TEST  MEN'S  CHRISTMAS  BANQUET 


I67 


INDEX 

Accidents 46 

Prevention 46,  48,  50,  56 

Statistics. 46,  57,  58,  71 

American  Institute  or  Electrical  Engineers 137 

Apprenticeship  Courses 105 

Athletic  Clubs 27 

Associations 16 

Statistics 109 

Bands 30 

Bonus,  Five-year 1 1 

Bowling  Club,  Lynn 23 

Cafeteri  a 97 

"Call  Men" 87 

Camp  Claverack 27 

Camp  Nela 27 

Clubs. . 16 

Continuity  of  Service 9 

Departmental  Associations 31 

Edison  Club 16 

Education,  Apprentice  Courses 107 

Electrical  Test  Course 142 

Evening  Courses,  Lynn  Works 134 

Pittsfield  Works 135 

Evening  Schools 132 

Lectures 136 

Libraries 139 

Municipal  Night  Schools 133 

Switchboard  Department  School 130 

Testing  Department 122 

Union  College,  Evening  Courses 134 

Post-graduate  Course 160 

Educational  Work,  Accident  Prevention 58 

Electrical  Testing  Course 142 

Elex  Club,  Fort  Wayne 25 

Erie  Works,  Restaurant 101 

Apprentice  Courses no 

Examinations,  Medical 64 

Fire  Alarms 82 

Department 87 

Department  Drills 87 

Doors 80 

Hose 83 

Escapes 81 

Ladders 83 

Protection • .  79 

Stations 84 

Fires,  Statistics 79 

Firemen's  Club 89 

Fires,  Exit  Drills 86 

Food,  Analysis 92 

Foremen's  Association,  Photo 20 

Fort  Wayne  Works,  Elex  Club 25 

Apprentice  Courses 109,  1 10 

Gamma  Epsilon  Society,  Harrison 25 

General  Electric  Athletic  Association. 27 

Mutual  Benefit  Association 32 

Woman's  Club 24 

Woman's  Club,  New  York 25 


Girl  Minstrels,  Pittsfield 25 

Gymnasium,  Girls',  Lynn : 22 

Harrison  Lamp  Works,  Restaurant 100,  103 

Hospitals 66,  75 

Hydrants , 85 

Insurance,  Fire 80 

Lecture  Courses 136 

Libraries 139 

Lynn  Works,  Education  Courses 134 

Restaurant .  99,  102 

Mazda  Club,  Harrison 23 

Medical  Work 64 

Municipal  Night  Schools 133 

Musical  Clubs 30 

Mutual  Benefit  Associations 32 

Pensions 12 

Pittsfield  Works,  Evening  Courses 135 

Restaurant 103 

Exterior  View '. 95,  103 

Interior  View 96 

Posters,  Use  of  for  Accident  Prevention 59 

Quarter  Century  Club 24 

Photo 20 

Recreation  Building,  Lynn • 29 

Red  Cross  Classes 78 

Rest  Rooms •. 73,  76 

Restaurant,  Equipment 96,  102 

Exterior  View  of  Building 95 

Interior  Views 96,  98,  100,  101 

Kitchen 93 

Plan. 94 

Service 96 

Statistics 93,  96 

Safety  Bulletins 58 

Devices 48 

"  Serve-Self"  System 97 

Service  Records 9 

Rules  Governing 14 

Soldering  Process 54 

Sprinklers,  Automatic 83 

Supplies,  Restaurant 93 

Switchboard  Department  School 130 

Test  Men,  Career 145 

Statistics 149,  164 

Testing  Department 150 

Apparatus  Tested 154 

Courses 122 

Thomson  Club,  Lynn  Works 21 

Union  College,  Evening  Courses 134 

Post-graduate  Work 160 

Vacation 26 

Clubs 26 

For  Shop  Workers 12 

Ventilating  Systems 51 

Vocational  Schools,  Evening 132 

Woman's  Clubs 25 

Membership 24 

War  Garden  Clubs 31 

Water  Systems 85 


TTTTR 


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